In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on November 30, 2022.
Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies.
Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation.
Pam Harris:
Hey fellow mathematicians. Welcome to the podcast where Math is Figure-Out-Able. I'm Pam Harris.
Kim Montague:
And I'm Kim Montague.
Pam Harris:
And this episode is a MathStratChat episode. What is MathStratChat? Well, every Wednesday evening, I throw out a math problem on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. People from all around the world chat about the strategies they use. It is super to see everyone's thinking.
Kim Montague:
Okay, so this Wednesday, our problem was 1176 divided by 24. How would you solve this problem? Pause the podcast and solve the problem any way you want. The problem is 1176 divided by 24. Solve it and then come on back to hear how we solved it.
Pam Harris:
All right, Kim, I want to hear what you're thinking about first. Go for it.
Kim Montague:
Okay, so I see the 1176. And I recognize that it is really close to 1200.
Pam Harris:
Okay.
Kim Montague:
So I'm going to say that 1200 divided by 24. Twelve hundred divided by 24 is 50. Because I know 12 divided by 24 is half. And so if I scale that up, then 1200 divided by 24 is 50. And then,
Pam Harris:
Wait, because you know that 12 divided by 24 is one half. And so how did, how does that get you to 1200 divided by 24 is 50?
Kim Montague:
So 12 divided by 24 is half. So then 120 divided by 24 would be five. And 1200 divided by 24 would be 50.
Pam Harris:
Okay, all right, cool.
Kim Montague:
Yeah?
Pam Harris:
I like it. I like it.
Kim Montague:
Okay, so then I asked, how far away am I? The 1200 and the 1176. And that's only 24 away. So I'm over too much. And so then I went 1176 minus 24. And then my answer would be 49. So I had 50 twenty-fours, but I only need 49 twenty-fours.
Pam Harris:
Nice. Nice. Cool.
Kim Montague:
What did you do?
Pam Harris:
Well, so I did a couple of things. But I'll just tell you about one of them. So I was thinking about 24. Okay. And I also recognize that 1176 is close to 1200. So I wrote down a ratio table one to 24. And I thought well I know 100 twenty-fours is 2400. And I know that's way too much. But I recognized once I had 100 of them, I was just trying to get a ballpark. And so when I thought about 100 twenty-fours 2400 Oh, bam! I can get to 1200 easily by cutting those in half. So 100 and half is 50 and 24 and a half is 1200. Now I recognize 50 twenty-fours is 1200. And I just need one less 24. So that's 49. Yeah.
Kim Montague:
Okay.
Pam Harris:
So once I (unclear).
Kim Montague:
So we both did a little over, away from the 1176.
Pam Harris:
But yeah, yeah, that's interesting that you recognize the half right off the bat. And I was definitely thinking about, it's almost like you were thinking a little bit more. Well, how do I say that? Like kind of fractionally, like as a fraction, and I was thinking more like multiplying up.
Kim Montague:
Yeah. All right. So we can't wait to see your math
Pam Harris:
Nice. I like it. strategy. I wonder if your strategy is like one of ours or something entirely different. Represent your thinking, take a picture of your work or screenshot your phone and tell the world on social media. While you're there, check out what other people did and comment on their thinking. Yeah, so tag me on Twitter @PW Harris or Instagram Pam Harris_math or on Facebook, Pam Harris, author mathematics education. And make sure you use the #MathStratChat. So make sure you check out the MathStratChat problem we post every Wednesday at 7pm Central Time, and then hop back here to hear how we are thinking about the problem. We love having you as the math, as part of the Math is Figure-Out-Able movement. Let's keep spreading the word that Math is Figure-Out-Able.