Expert: Paul Klarreich - 9/19/2007

Question
Hi, I have a block on understanding word problems as far as how/what to break down and enter the information into a table.  Do you know of any "tricks" that can help with breaking down the word problems or something online as far as a learning tool?

Thanks for any assistance you can give.

Answer
Questioner:   Anna C.
Category:  Advanced Math
Private:  No
 
Subject:  Word Problems Intermediate Algebra
Question:  Hi, I have a block on understanding word problems as far as how/what to break down and enter the information into a table.  Do you know of any "tricks" that can help with breaking down the word problems or something online as far as a learning tool?

Thanks for any assistance you can give.
..........................................

Hi, Anna,

There are no tricks.  You don't want them, anyway; a 'trick' is something that works for this example only and is otherwise useless.

The 'method' is really very simple, but you have to sharpen up your reading and grammar skills.

Identify phrases and words that represent numbers, such as:

"John's Age now"
"The first number."
"The speed of the boat"

Identify phrases and words that represent operations:

"twice as much as"
"7 less than"

Identify sentences, possibly contained inside bigger sentences.

Write those sentences out on your computer.

Find a phrase that represents some variable -- a number that is not known -- and give that variable a name, which is normally a letter, such as 'x' or 'a' or 'n'.  
Write your 'legend' -- a statement that

'x' stands for <the phrase?

DO A GOOD JOB OF THAT PART.  If you lazy out on this part of the work, you pay the price later.  

Do not write:   x = beans
Do write:   x = the price of one pound of beans.

Since you are talking about 'tables' I conclude you are looking at

Uniform motion problems using rate-time-distance.
Mixture problems using unit price-weight-cost.
Percent mixture problems using  concentration-total-amount.

If so, make sure your table has GOOD LABELS.  

Do not make this table:
              Price     Amount       Cost
------------+----------+----------+-----------+
Beans       |          |          |           |
------------+----------+----------+-----------+
Carrots     |          |          |           |
------------+----------+----------+-----------+


DO make this table:

            Price for   Number of   Total
            one pound    pounds     cost.
------------+----------+----------+-----------+
Beans       |  (1)     |          |           |
------------+----------+----------+-----------+
Carrots     |          |   (2)    |           |
------------+----------+----------+-----------+

In this way, if you have an entry in one part of the table, you can tell EXACTLY what it stands for, as:

(1) The price of one pound of beans.
(2) The number of pounds of carrots purchased.

In other words, be prepared to:

1. Write.
2. Write a lot.
3. Write a lot of clear and precise English. (Just as your English teacher is telling you to do.)

.......................

Well there are quite a few other tri... er...  techniques, which are best described in the context of actual examples; it will be up to your math teacher to provide them.  Feel free to send them on.