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Fun with Algebra, #4
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Introduction
This problem is as much about recognizing what information is needed, and how to get to it, as it is about recognizing the operations needed. You might need to explicitly ask, “What information do you need to get first?”
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Suppose you have a brick. How can you find the weight of a cubic foot of bricks just like that one?
Possible student responses
- You need to weigh the brick, but you also need to know how many bricks fit in a cubic foot.
- You could measure the brick’s sides and calculate its volume in cubic inches.
- There are 12 × 12 × 12 cubic inches in a foot (1,728 cubic inches), so there are 1,728 ÷ (volume of one brick) in a cubic foot. Multiply that result by the weight of the brick.
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