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Do you first panic when
you're asked to solve a word problem? You probably go through the steps you
learned.
- Read
the problem. Decide what is wanted.
- Plan
your strategy.
- Solve.
Do the arithmetic.
- Look
back. check your work.
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But many times, there is just too much information given!!!
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So, this
lesson is going to give you practice as to what is
important and what is not! What is important is also known as relevant information.
What is not important is also know as
irrelevant. In this lesson you will learn how to
decide what is relevant and what is irrelevant. And let's face it, in real
life, we often have to decide which information we need to solve a problem
and which information we do not need.
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relevant
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irrelevant
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important information
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not important information
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need this to solve problem
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not needed to solve problem
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Let's look at some examples you could find
in a book.
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From Syracuse, a train, a car,
and a plane left for New York City at noon. It will take the train 5½
hours to get there. The car can travel 55 mph. What time will the train get
to New York City?
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When you look at the
question, it only asks for the train time. It does not care about the
car's speed. Therefore the relevant information
is: From Syracuse, a train,
a car, and a plane left for New York City at noon. It will take the train 5½ hours to
get there.
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A man can go 400 miles on a full
tank of gas. He needs to go 100 miles today and has a half tank of
gas. He has $100 in his wallet. Does he need to buy more gas before
he goes?
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When you look at the
question, it only asks if a half tank can get him 100 miles. It does
not care about the money he has in his wallet. Therefore the relevant information is: A man can go 400 miles on a full tank of gas. He
needs to go 100 miles today and has a half tank of gas. He has $100 in his
wallet.
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In order for the kite to fly
properly, the wind needs to be at least 15 mph. The kite cost
$5.98. The wind speed today is 28 mph. Can I fly a kite
today?
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When you look at the
question, it only asks if I can fly a kite today. It does not care
about the cost of the kite. Therefore the relevant information is: In order for the kite to fly properly, the wind needs to be at
least 15 mph.
The kite cost $5.98. The wind speed today is 28 mph.
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OK, ready for one more before you practice?
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I only have $5.00 to spend today
at the sale. I want to buy a tablet that costs $1.95 and a special
pencil that costs $2.48. I earned $8 last week raking leaves. Do
I have enough money to buy my two items?
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When you look at the
question, it only asks if you have enough money to buy two items. It
does not care about the money earned last week. It cares only about
the money I have TODAY. Therefore the relevant information is: I only have $5.00 to spend today at the sale.
I want to buy a tablet that costs
$1.95 and a special pencil that costs $2.48. I earned $8 last week raking leaves.
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Ready to
practice?
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