Algebraic word problems

ImNoNewton

New member
Joined
Feb 6, 2014
Messages
2
Hello all, this my first post.

Although I'm no Newton, I'm pretty good at math but I've been out of school for a while. I had the following question on an aptitude test earlier today for a career college:

Two men catch 36 fish. Man X caught 5 times more fish then man Y. How many fish did Y catch?

I was under a time limit with no calculator so I thought it over, but being unable to answer, I moved on. The solution I came up with, which I feel is wrong (and thus didn't write down), is: 36 = 5X + Y.


After reading my posting, I can see my answer is wrong but I cannot figure how to represent this very simple question. Please help!
 
Hello all, this my first post.

Although I'm no Newton, I'm pretty good at math but I've been out of school for a while. I had the following question on an aptitude test earlier today for a career college:

Two men catch 36 fish. Man X caught 5 times more fish then man Y. How many fish did Y catch?

I was under a time limit with no calculator so I thought it over, but being unable to answer, I moved on. The solution I came up with, which I feel is wrong (and thus didn't write down), is: 36 = 5X + Y.


After reading my posting, I can see my answer is wrong but I cannot figure how to represent this very simple question. Please help!
What I find to be the most intuitive way is this.

\(\displaystyle number\ of\ fish\ caught\ by\ man\ X = x\).

\(\displaystyle number\ of\ fish\ caught\ by\ man\ Y = y\).

\(\displaystyle x + y = 36.\)

\(\displaystyle x = 5y.\)

Make sense? Do you know how to proceed from here?
 
Two men catch 36 fish. Man X caught 5 times more fish then man Y. How many fish did Y catch?
"Five times more than" is ambiguous; I'll assume they meant "five times as many as".

Think in terms of "parts". For every one (whatever) for Y, you have five (whatevers) for X. So how many (whatevers) are in a set of (whatevers)? How many of those sets will fit into a total of 36? Then, given that Y had one (whatever) in each set of (whatevers), how many (whatevers) did Y have? ;)
 
What I find to be the most intuitive way is this.

\(\displaystyle number\ of\ fish\ caught\ by\ man\ X = x\).

\(\displaystyle number\ of\ fish\ caught\ by\ man\ Y = y\).

\(\displaystyle x + y = 36.\)

\(\displaystyle x = 5y.\)

Make sense? Do you know how to proceed from here?

Hi Jeff,

Thank you for your clarification. If x + y = 36, and x = 5y, then 5y + y = 36. 5y + y = 6y, so 6y = 36. Divide both sides by 6 to isolate y, and thus y = 6. Thank you Jeff!
 
Hi Jeff,

Thank you for your clarification. If x + y = 36, and x = 5y, then 5y + y = 36. 5y + y = 6y, so 6y = 36. Divide both sides by 6 to isolate y, and thus y = 6. Thank you Jeff!
You're welcome. In every word problem:

First, name your variables clearly;

Second, translate the quantitative statements into mathematical statements using the variables named above;

Third, solve the resulting purely mathematical problem; and

Fourth, check your answers.
 
Top