Math is Figure-Out-Able!

#MathStratChat - February 28, 2024

Pam Harris

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on February 28, 2024. 


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.

Twitter: @PWHarris

Instagram: Pam Harris_math

Facebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics education


Want more? Check out the archive of all of our #MathStratChat posts!

Pam  00:00
Hey, fellow mathematicians! Welcome to the podcast where Math is Figure-Out-Able! I'm Pam Harris.

Kim  00:06
And I'm Kim Montague.

Pam  00:08
And this is a MathStratChat episode, where we chat 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 each other thinking.

Kim  00:20
Okay, last Wednesday, our problem was 63 subtract 49. How would you solve this problem? Pause, solve it however you want, and then come on back to hear how we solve it. The problem is 63 minus 49.  Alright, Kim.  I want to go first. 

Pam  00:37
Okay, go. 

Kim  00:38
Forty-nine screams 50 to me. And you know I like the Over. So, I'm going to go 63 minus 50, which is 13. But I subtracted too much by 1. So, I'm going to add 1 back. So, 63 minus 49 is 14. Super cool.

Pam  00:56
I am going to play around with factoring. 

Kim  00:59
Okay.

Pam  01:00
Because like you said 49 screams 50, 49 to me scream 7s.

Kim  01:05
Yep.

Pam  01:05
So, 63 is nine 7s, subtract 49 is seven 7s. So, nine 7s, subtract seven 7s, leaves me with two 7s, which is also 14. I got to tell you. When you were doing the Over, and you were thinking about subtracting 50?

Kim  01:19
Mmhm.

Pam  01:20
When you said you subtracted too much. You're going to add 1. And I can hear you were getting to 14. What I thought to myself was, "Good because it needs to be a multiple of 7."

Kim  01:29
Oh, yeah.

Pam  01:30
Yeah, that was kind of a... Because I knew I was headed for multiples of 7. Nice.

Kim  01:33
Very cool.

Both Pam and Kim  01:34
Alright.

Kim  01:35
So, we can't wait to see your math strategy. Maybe it was like one of ours. Represent your thinking, take a picture, and tell the world on social media. And while you're there, check out what other people did. Comment on their thinking. 

Pam  01:46
Yeah, and tag me when you're there and use the hashtag MathStratChat. And make sure you check out the next MathStratChat problem that we'll post on Wednesdays around 7pm Central Time, and then come back here to hear how we're thinking about the problem. We love having you as part of the Math is Figure-Out-Able movement! Thank you for spreading the word that Math is Figure-Out-Able!