In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on November 29, 2023.
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.
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Pam 00:01
Hey, fellow mathematicians! Welcome to the podcast where Math is Figure-Out-Able! I'm Pam.
Both Pam and Kim 00:09
(laughs).
Pam 00:09
What's so funny? And your Kim.
Kim 00:11
I wasn't listening.
Pam 00:12
And this episode is a MathStratChat episode where we, Pam and Kim, talk about our math strategies. Every Wednesday evening, I throw out a math problem on social media and people from around the world chat about the strategies they use and comment on others thinking, Hey, Kim, it's your turn. Go.
Kim 00:31
I do this every week. Okay, so the problem is five-tenths times four-thirds. How would you solve this problem? Pause the podcast, solve it, and come back and listen to how we're going to solve it. The problem is five-tenths times four-thirds.
Pam 00:46
Alright, Kim, I can't wait to hear what you're thinking.
Kim 00:48
Okay. So, I'm thinking five-tenths is half. So, I'm just saying half of four-thirds, which is two-thirds.
Pam 00:57
And you think you can just do that. You can just think one-half of four-thirds, and you're done.
Kim 01:02
Yep.
Pam 01:03
Two-thirds. Nice. Okay, so since you took kind of the obvious one.
Kim 01:07
Yep.
Pam 01:08
I'm going to use the commutative property, and I'm going to think about... Well, I'm also going to think of five-tenths as one-half.
Kim 01:13
Okay.
Pam 01:14
But I'm going to think of four-thirds of one-half.
Kim 01:16
Okay.
Pam 01:17
So, four-thirds of anything is one of those things and another third of that thing.
Kim 01:23
Yep.
Pam 01:23
Four-thirds is three-thirds and one more third.
Kim 01:26
Mmhm.
Pam 01:26
So, four-thirds or one and a third of one-half. So, I've got one of one-half is (unclear). And a third of one-half is one-sixth.
Kim 01:36
Yep.
Pam 01:37
So, third of one-half is a... So, now I have a half and a sixth. And I'm thinking about that as three-sixth and one-sixth. So, that's three-sixth and one-sixth is four-sixth. And you got two-thirds, which is equivalent to my four-sixth. What do you think?
Kim 01:53
I take it.
Pam 01:54
Bam!
Both Pam and Kim 01:55
(unclear).
Kim 01:56
I'm wondering what's on your paper. Do you have something on your paper?
Pam 01:59
I literally wrote 1 and 1/3 of. I wrote the word "of".
Kim 02:09
Mmhm.
Pam 02:09
One-half. And then, I wrote equals one-half plus one-sixth. And then, I wrote equals three-sixth plus one-sixth equals four-sixth.
Kim 02:11
Mmhm. So, writing what you wrote was probably quite a bit quicker than what you just said. Yeah.
Pam 02:19
Yeah. Yeah, it was.
Kim 02:20
Yeah. Cool.
Pam 02:21
And honestly, the one-half of four-thirds just being a half of four anythings is 2 of those things. That was super quick. But I decided to do something else. Because I could.
Kim 02:30
Yeah, because it's not just about quick, right? Like having a variety of things. And we're not rushing here. So.
Pam 02:36
I was kind of curious if I could think about thirds of tenths. Yeah. But then, when you said a half, and I was like, "Oh, yeah, it's just a half. Hey, I can think about a third of a half."
Kim 02:45
Yeah.
Pam 02:45
Yeah. So, why not?
Kim 02:46
Very cool. Alright, everyone. We can't... We can't see. Because you haven't told us yet.
Pam 02:53
So, tell us! Put it on social media!
Kim 02:55
It's a jumbled mess sometimes. We can't wait to see what you're going to do with this problem. Solve it. Share it. Comment.
Pam 03:04
You're just over it, aren't you? Okay.
Kim 03:05
We love you.
Pam 03:07
Tag me on social media when do you do. Don't tag Kim whatever because she's not going to. She's going to ignore it. And use the hashtag MathStratChat. And make sure you check out our... Oh, wow. MathStratChat problem that we post every Wednesday around 7pm Central Time, and then come back here to hear how at least I'm thinking about the problem. Whether Kim is there or not. We're not sure. We love having you as part of the Math is Figure-Out-Able movement! Thanks for spreading the word that Math is Figure-Out-Able!
