word problem

eddy2017

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Oct 27, 2017
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Hi, Eddy again. thank you for everything. can you direct me as to what is my first line of reasoning should be, as how to open the problem.

A basketball team has won 80% of the 40 games they have played so far to qualify for the post season, if there are 40 games remaining, what is the minimum number of games remaining that they need to win to qualify .

i will start with what i have already learned.
1. Organize the info given.
number of games in season= 80
number of games played so far= 40
number of games won so far = 80% of 40 = 32 games won so far
number of games remaining =40
what is the unknown = minimum number of games to win( of those remaining) to qualify = let it be x
thanks, waiting for your confirmation and first hint.
i'm ready to learn, but pls , pls, be as clear as possible in the hint.
 
I just answered this where the same question was asked in another post! The problem says that won 80% of the first 40 games so they have won 32 games. But in order to tell how many more games they must win we need to know how many wins in all 80 games are required to qualify and that information is not given! It is not possible to answer this question without that information!
 
yes, you're right. i forgot where i see the problem. would you put a figure and allow me to go ahead with the problem?
 
l see if I can find the source of the problem. thanks for replying and for your concern
 
85% is a figure you requested. see what you can do with this.
 
Okay, lets say we need to win 85%, which is 68 of the total 80 games in order to qualify. You have already won 80% of 40= 32 so we need to win 68- 32= 36 games out of the remaining 40. that is 36/40= 9/10 or 90% of the remaining games.

(In this particular problem, because the 40 remaining games is exactly the same as the 40 games already played, 85% is (80+ 90)/2. If the number of games remaining were not the same as the number already played it would not be that easy.)
 
thank you, my good friends. i have located the source of the problem. yes totally understood this one. And this was the real problem, in fact, i could find it
A basketball team has won 80 % of the 40 games they have played so far. They need to have a winning rate of at least 70% to qualify for the post season. if there are 40 games remaining, what is the minimum number of remaining games they need to win to qualify.

This is how i planned it.
they have won 80% of 40 games already played
40% of 40 = 32 games already won
they need to have a winning rate of at least 70% to qualify. (they need to win at least 70% of the total of games to be played)
so, 40 games already played + 40 games still to be played =40 games in total
so 70% of 80 = 56
they need to win 56 games but they have already won 32
so I'll sub 32 from 56 and i get 24
so, they need to win a minimum of 24 games to be able to qualify.

i think i have done well on this problem. i await for your confirmation. i rectified my original problem because as
HallsofIvy said there had to be some info missing. and even if jomo stood in the gap for me, i felt i owed to the forum to find and bring the original one.
Than you so much. i will continue posting. I am an ESL teacher but i want to become a math teacher for middle school so i will need the help of this forum. as I have said before, I feel it's slow but i am learning step by step i think that is gonna bring all teachers and experts some satisfaction.
thank you again. My best wishes,
eddy
 
if i am tardy in replying don't take it as being remiss or negligent. I am really busy with schoolwork, housework and some other stuff. I appreciate your help so much.
 
A mathematician is a blind man in a dark room looking for a black cat which isn’t there. - Charles R. Darwin
that is funny and true!.:D
 
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