The document describes a 6-step procedure for solving word problems: 1) identify the question, 2) make notes while reading, 3) assign a variable, 4) set up an equation, 5) solve the equation, and 6) check the solution. It then works through an example problem about a camping trip involving different modes of transportation to solve for the total trip distance.

3. PROCEDURE FOR SOLVING WORD
PROBLEMS
Step 1: Identify the question. Read the problem
one time and note what you are asked to find.
Step 2: Make notes. Read until you can note
something (an amount, a picture, anything).
Continue reading and making notes until you
have read the problem a second* time.
Step 3: Assign a variable to whatever is being
asked for (if there are two choices, then let it be
the smaller of the two).
Step 4: Set up an equation.
Step 5: Solve the equation.
Step 6: Check the solution. Run the solution

4. During a camping trip in North Bay, Ontario, a
couple went one-third of the way by
boat, 10 miles by foot, and one-sixth of the way by
horse. How long was the trip?
Solution:
STEP 1 Identify the question.
How many miles was the trip?
STEP 2 Make notes.
Read Write
. . . one-third of the way by boat BOAT: 1/3 of the trip
. . . 10 miles by foot FOOT: 10 miles
. . . one-sixth of the way by horse HORSE: 1/6 of the trip

5. During a camping trip in North Bay, Ontario, a
couple went one-third of the way by
boat, 10 miles by foot, and one-sixth of the way by
horse. How long was the trip?
Solution:
STEP 3 Assign a variable.
 Distance of total trip in miles = x
STEP 4 Set up an equation.
The total distance of the trip is the sum of all the
distances by boat, foot, and horse.

6. STEP 4 Set up an equation.
Distance by boat + Distance by foot + Distance by
horse = Total distance

7. STEP 5 Solve the equation.
Multiply by the LCD, 6.
Collect x terms on the right.
Divide by 3.
The trip was 20 miles.

8. To calculate the temperature in degrees
Fahrenheit, we use the formula,
where F is degrees Fahrenheit and C is
degrees Celsius.
Find the formula to convert from Fahrenheit
to Celsius.

9. The perimeter P of a rectangle is related to
the length L and width W of the rectangle
through the equation
P = 2L + 2W
Determine the width in terms of the perimeter
and length.

10. Your cell phone plan
charges $15 a month plus
12 cents per minute. If your
monthly bill is $25.08, how
many minutes did you use?

11. Becky rented a car on her Ft.
Lauderdale vacation. The car
was $25 a day plus 10 cents
per mile. She kept the car for
5 days and her bill was $185.
How many miles did she drive
the car?

12. When traveling in London, Charlotte
decided to check her e-mail at an
Internet café. There was a flat charge
of $2 plus a charge of 10 cents a
minute. How many minutes was she
logged on if her bill was $3.70?

13. For a summer job, Dwayne decides
to sell magazine subscriptions. He
will be paid $20 a day plus $1 for
each subscription he sells. If he
works for 25 days and makes
$645, how many subscriptions did
he sell?

14. The operating costs for a local business per year
are a fixed amount of $15,000 and $2,500 per
day.
a. Find C that represents operating costs for the
company, which depend on the number of
days open, x.
b. If the business accrues $5,515,000 in annual
operating costs, how many days did the
business operate during the year?

15. Negotiated contracts for a technical support provider
produce monthly revenue of $5000 and $0.75 per
minute per phone call.
a. Find R that represents the revenue for the technical
support provider, which depends on the number of
minutes of phone calls x.
b. In one month the provider received $98,750 in
revenue. How many minutes of technical support
were provided?