Math is Figure-Out-Able!

#MathStratChat - March 6, 2024

Pam Harris

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on March 6, 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

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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... Welcome to the podcast where Math is Figure-Out-Able! I'm Pam Harris.

Kim  00:10
And I'm Kim Montague.

Pam  00:11
And this episode is a bumbling 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's thinking.

Kim  00:25
I'm so happy it was your day and not me. It's always me. It's always me. Okay, so this Wednesday, our math problem was 72 subtract 48. How would you solve this problem? Pause, solve it, come on back. The problem is 72 minus 48.

Pam  00:42
Alright, I'm going first today. I'm going to be you, and I'm going to think Over. So, I'm going to go 72 minus 50. 72 minus 50 is 22. 

Kim  00:52
Okay. 

Pam  00:53
But I subtracted a bit too much. 2 too much. So, I need to adjust that 2 forward, so that would be 24.

Kim  01:01
Okay, nice.

Pam  01:02
Yeah?

Kim  01:02
I approve. And since you were me, I'm going to be you. So, when I look at 72 and 48, like the 8s just jump out. 8, 8, 8. So, I know that 72 is nine 8s. So, I'm writing nine 8s. And then, 48 is six 8s. So, I wrote subtract 6 times 8. And nine 8s subtract six 8s is three 8s. And I know three 8s is 24. Yeah.

Pam  01:31
Hey, just for grins. We could have also done Constant Difference, right?

Kim  01:34
Sure. 

Pam  01:34
Like, you could have thought about 48 to 72, the distance between those. But then, it's like shift it up and create the equivalent problem 74 subtract 50. Which would also be 24. Alright, just had to mention that one. Cool.

Kim  01:46
Very cool. Alright, everyone, we can't wait to see what you did. Represent your thinking, take a picture, tell the world on social media, and check out what other people did. Comment on their thinking while you're there.

Pam  01:56
And tag me and use the hashtag MathStratChat and make sure you check out the next MathStratChat problem that we post every Wednesday around 7pm Central Time, and then pop 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! Let's keep spreading the word that Math is Figure-Out-Able!