Math Is Fun Forum

Al-Allo

Member

Registered: 2012-08-23

Posts: 324

Just to be sure.... (problem)

Aaron reads 3 times faster than Patrick and Shad reads 4 times faster than Aaron. If Patrick reads 4 pages in 1 hour, how many pages reads each of his two comrades? I know how to resolve the problem, but I just wanna be sure I resolved it in the right way.

X: Number of pages Patrick read

3X: Number of pages Aaron read. (3 times faster than the number of pages Shad read.)

12X: Number of pages Shad read. (12 times faster than the numbers of pages Shad read.)

Now, I resolve : 12X=4 (pages read by Patrick)

                              X=1/3

And the rest resolves itself. Basically, it doesn't say it explicitely but am I right saying that X is the number of pages read by Shad, right ?

Last edited by Al-Allo (2013-01-28 12:09:38)

noelevans

Member

Registered: 2012-07-20

Posts: 236

Re: Just to be sure.... (problem)

Hi Al-Allo!

Try  x for Patrick, 3x for Aaron  4(3x)=12x for Shad.  (Patrick is the slowest reader, Aaron next and
Shad the fastest.)  So if Patrick reads 4pages in 1hr, then ...

Can you get it from there?

---

Writing "pretty" math (two dimensional) is easier to read and grasp than LaTex (one dimensional).
LaTex is like painting on many strips of paper and then stacking them to see what picture they make.

scientia

Member

Registered: 2009-11-13

Posts: 224

Re: Just to be sure.... (problem)

Hi Al-Allo. Your equations are wrong. They should be as follows

Aaron reads 3 times faster than Patrick and Shad reads 4 times faster than Aaron. If Patrick reads 4 pages in 1 hour, how many pages reads each of his two comrades? I know how to resolve the problem, but I just wanna be sure I resolved it in the right way.

X: Number of pages Shad read

X/4: Number of pages Aaron read. (4 times slower than the numbers of pages Shad read.)

X/12: Number of pages Patrick read. (12 times slower than the numbers of pages Shad read.)

Now, I resolve : X/12=4 (pages read by Patrick)

Al-Allo

Member

Registered: 2012-08-23

Posts: 324

Re: Just to be sure.... (problem)

Hi Al-Allo!

Try  x for Patrick, 3x for Aaron  4(3x)=12x for Shad.  (Patrick is the slowest reader, Aaron next and
Shad the fastest.)  So if Patrick reads 4pages in 1hr, then ...

Can you get it from there?

Sorry, I confused the names, thanks for the correction. But what I'm asking is X represent the number of pages read by Patrick, right ?

THanks

Al-Allo

Member

Registered: 2012-08-23

Posts: 324

Re: Just to be sure.... (problem)

Hi Al-Allo. Your equations are wrong. They should be as follows

Aaron reads 3 times faster than Patrick and Shad reads 4 times faster than Aaron. If Patrick reads 4 pages in 1 hour, how many pages reads each of his two comrades? I know how to resolve the problem, but I just wanna be sure I resolved it in the right way.

X: Number of pages Shad read

X/4: Number of pages Aaron read. (4 times slower than the numbers of pages Shad read.)

X/12: Number of pages Patrick read. (12 times slower than the numbers of pages Shad read.)

Now, I resolve : X/12=4 (pages read by Patrick)

How come ? I got the answer perfectly with them ...

Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,619

Re: Just to be sure.... (problem)

hi Al-Allo

As long as you keep track of each person's formula it doesn't really matter what you call 'x' here.

eg.  Patrick x
Aaron 3x
Shad 12x

x = 4  => Aaron = 12 and Shad = 48

or Shad = x
Aaron = 1/4 x
Patrick = 1/3 of 1/4 x

1/3 of 1/4 x = 4  => 1/4 x = 12 and x = 48

Same answers but maybe the fractions make it harder ??

I was taught to make x the thing you are trying to find  but here you are asked for more than one thing so I don't think it should matter.

Bob

---

Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything;  you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you!  …………….Bob

Al-Allo

Member

Registered: 2012-08-23

Posts: 324

Re: Just to be sure.... (problem)

hi Al-Allo

As long as you keep track of each person's formula it doesn't really matter what you call 'x' here.

eg.  Patrick x
Aaron 3x
Shad 12x

x = 4  => Aaron = 12 and Shad = 48

or Shad = x
Aaron = 1/4 x
Patrick = 1/3 of 1/4 x

1/3 of 1/4 x = 4  => 1/4 x = 12 and x = 48

Same answers but maybe the fractions make it harder ??

I was taught to make x the thing you are trying to find  but here you are asked for more than one thing so I don't think it should matter.

Bob

Ok, but I under the logic behind that one persone is slower than an other but your answers are wrong and This I what I got :

Aaron: 1 page Shad: 1/3 page (Yes I know, this isn't realist, but these are the answers.)

What gives, why are you going in the opposite direction than the problem is saying. (Dividing because they are slower ?)

Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,619

Re: Just to be sure.... (problem)

Aaron reads 3 times faster than Patrick and Shad reads 4 times faster than Aaron

If Aaron reads faster then Patrick is the slowest reader.

The order is

slowest  Patrick  then Aaron then quickest Shad.

So if Patrick reads at 4 pages per hour and Aaron is 3 times faster that means Aaron is 3 x 4 pages per hour.

So if you start with Patrick's speed you need to multiply and if you start with Shad you need to divide.

I am off to bed now as it's gone midnight in the UK.

Hope you get your head around this. 

Bob

---

Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything;  you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you!  …………….Bob

Al-Allo

Member

Registered: 2012-08-23

Posts: 324

Re: Just to be sure.... (problem)

Omg, I just saw the error. I didn't write correctly the problem.. Aaron reads 3 times faster then shad and patrick reads 4 times faster then Aaron.

Sorry again, could you recheck with that new statement if you get the same equations ? thanks

Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,619

Re: Just to be sure.... (problem)

Oh dear, no wonder we were not agreeing.  So let's recap the problem

Aaron reads 3 times faster then shad and patrick reads 4 times faster then Aaron.

X: Number of pages Patrick read

3X: Number of pages Aaron read. (3 times faster than the number of pages Shad read.)

12X: Number of pages Shad read. (12 times faster than the numbers of pages Shad read.)

Now, I resolve : 12X=4 (pages read by Patrick)

                              X=1/3

This is still in a muddle.  When you first made this post, you had Shad and Patrick the other way round in your answer.  Last night you edited the post, swapping the names over.  So your answer still doesn't match the problem as stated.

Suggestion:

Start again with a fresh post in which you put the correct question and your answer.  I'll look at that.

Bob

---

Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything;  you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you!  …………….Bob

Al-Allo

Member

Registered: 2012-08-23

Posts: 324

Re: Just to be sure.... (problem)

Aaron reads 3 times faster than Shad and Patrick reads 4 times faster than Aaron. If Patrick reads 4 pages in 1 hour, how many pages reads each of his two comrades?

Answer :

Pat= 12x so 4 pages
Aaron= 3X so 1 page
Shad=x so 1/3 page

The value of X is 1/3

Now, everything should be correct, (I don't know why I inversed the names, inattention, I guess.)

Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,619

Re: Just to be sure.... (problem)

hi Al-Allo

That set of answers is correct for that question.

Bob

---

Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything;  you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you!  …………….Bob