Basic Mathematics for College Students

702 Chapter 8 Summary and Review

31

2

8

1

,500

 3

955,500

SECTION 8.5 Using Equations to Solve Application Problems

To solve application problems, use the five-

step problem-solving strategy.

1.Analyze the problem:What information is

given? What are you asked to find?

2.Form an equation:Pick a variable to

represent the numerical value to be found.

Translate the words of the problem into an

equation.

3.Solve the equation.

4.State the conclusionclearly. Be sure to

include the units (such as feet, seconds, or

pounds) in your answer.

5.Check the result:Use the original wording

of the problem, not the equation that was

formed in step 2 from the words.

DEFINITIONS AND CONCEPTS EXAMPLES

NOBEL PRIZE In 1998, three Americans, Louis Ignarro, Robert

Furchgott, and Fred Murad, were awarded the Nobel Prize for

Medicine. They shared the prize money equally. If each person

received $318,500, what was the amount of the cash award for the

Nobel Prize for medicine? (Source: nobelprize.org)

Analyze

• 3 people shared the cash award equally. Given


• Each person received $318,500. Given


• What was the amount of the cash award? Find

Form

Let a the amount of the cash award for the Nobel Prize.

Look for a key word or phrase in the problem.

Key Phrase:shared the prize money equally

Translation:division

Translate the words of the problem into an equation.

was

a  3  318,500

Solve

We need to isolate a on the left side.

To isolate a, undo the division by 3 by

multiplying both sides by 3.

Do the multiplication.

State

The amount of the cash award for the Nobel Prize in Medicine was

$955,500.

Check

If the cash prize was $955,500, then the amount that each winner

received can be found using division:

This is the amount each prize winner received.

The result, $955,500, checks.

318,500 

3 955,500

a955,500

3 

a

3

 3 318,500

a

3

318,500

$318,500.

the number of people

that shared it equally

divided

by

The amount of

the cash award