#MathStratChat - October 26, 2022

Pam Harris: 0:00

Hey fellow mathematicians. Welcome to the podcast where Math is Figure-Out-Able. I'm Pam.

Kim Montague: 0:07

And I'm Kim.

Pam Harris: 0:08

And this episode is a MathStratChat episode. What is MathStratChat? Every Wednesday evening, I throw out a math problem on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. People from around the world chat about the strategies they use. It is super fun to see everyone's thinking.

Kim Montague: 0:23

So this Wednesday, our math problem was three fourths of 15. How would you solve this problem? Go ahead and pause the podcast, solve the problem any way you want. The problem is three fourths of 15. Solve it, then come back to hear how we solved it and go. (pause) Okay, Pam, is it okay with you if I go first, this time?

Pam Harris: 0:44

You can go first this time.

Kim Montague: 0:45

Okay, cool.

Pam Harris: 0:46

All right.

Kim Montague: 0:46

So when I see three fourths of 15, it makes me think about how a couple of weeks ago we had three fourths of 10. And so I know that three fourths of 10 is seven and a half or 7.5. And so then, because I needed to think about three fourths of 10 and three fourths of five, then that's just half as much. And half of 7.5 is 3.75. So I have three fourths of 10 is 7.5. And three fourths of five is 3.75. So together...

Pam Harris: 1:26

You just know half of 7.5? That's the thing, you know?

Kim Montague: 1:30

Well, I actually know half of 75 is 37 and a

Pam Harris: 1:34

Nice. I wish I thought about that more. I still half. think about half of seven and half a half to get. Okay, cool. That's half of 75. That's nice. Okay. Okay, so then together, we got 11 and a quarter, 11.25. Nice. I like that. I like it. It's interesting to me that the way you thought about it, you had results that someone could have thought about a half of 15 to get like half of 15. And then half of that? I mean, do you see what I am saying?

Kim Montague: 2:08

Yeah, I do. Because I split (unclear).

Pam Harris: 2:11

Yeah, you end up with the same number. So half of 15, seven and a half and then half of that three and(unclear). But you did three fourths of 10 and three fourths of five, ending up with the same sort of partial, helped me, partial products?

Kim Montague: 2:24

Yeah.

Pam Harris: 2:24

I think that's cool. Okay.

Kim Montague: 2:26

That is cool.

Pam Harris: 2:27

My brain is going, going, going.

Kim Montague: 2:28

I know, I'm staring at my paper now. Okay, what did you do?

Pam Harris: 2:31

I feel super Kim, like with this strategy. I'm so proud of myself because I went somewhere that I would not have gone just a few years ago. So I, somehow three fourths of 15 just screamed at me three fourths of 16. And so three fourths of 16 that's just 12. Right? I can just and if we have to, we could talk about a fourth of 16 is four and three of those 12 or back one is... anyway. So if three fourths of 16 is 12, then all I have to do is subtract three fourths of one. Oh, yeah. And three fourths of one is just three fourths, right. So what's 12 minus three quarters. That's just 11 and a quarter? Bam!

Kim Montague: 3:14

I like.

Pam Harris: 3:14

I was really...

Kim Montague: 3:15

Oh, very over of you.

Pam Harris: 3:16

It was very over of me and I was so excited when I got to the fact that it was, when I was like, "Okay, so now I just need to find three fourths of ONE." I hadn't thought that far ahead. I was like, "I'm gonna over thing." Because it felt, yeah three fourths of 16 just felt so good. And then when I figured out all I had to do was these three fourths of one. I mean, that's a moment you all when you're like, "Oh, Real Math is so cool!"

Kim Montague: 3:38

It's really nice.

Pam Harris: 3:39

It's really cool. All right.

Kim Montague: 3:40

Well done.

Pam Harris: 3:42

You too.

Kim Montague: 3:42

Okay, so we can't wait to see your math strategy. I wonder if your strategy was like one of ours or something entirely different. Represent your thinking, take a picture of your work or just take a screenshot on your phone and tell the world on social media. And while you're there, we'd love it if you check out what other people did and comment on their thinking.

Pam Harris: 4:01

Yeah, and tag me on Twitter: @PWHarris. Or

Instagram: 4:03

Pam Harris_math. Or Facebook: Pam Harris, Author Mathematics Education. That is a mouthful, and use the hashtag MathStratChat. And make sure you check out the MathStratChat problem that we'll post next Wednesday around 7pm Central time, then pop back here to hear what we're thinking about the problem. We love having you as part of the Math is Figure-Out-Able movement. Let's keep spreading the word that Math is Figure-Out-Able.