+

C1 Situational
Problems
Secondary IV: Cultural, Social and Technical Mathematics

+
C1- Situational Problems

Highlight the end question.

Divide the question up into steps or sections that you

will solve

Determine what concept is being covered in each step.

Go back to the original question to make sure that your

final answer answers the question.

The Vegetable Field June 2013

+Lets Make a Plan

We have to find the two possible measurements of the angles

in the squash field. But when we look at it, those
measurements are in direct relation to the area of the field,
which is linked to the cost of the field. In order to see if our
cost for the squash field is accurate we have to know what the
cost of the other 4 fields will cost.

Step 1: The Carrot Field

Step 3: The Lettuce Field

Key word percentile

Find the 72nd percentile of 12 terms

Step 4: The Squash Field

Key words increased by 5% each year this tells us that we

have an exponential function

Write the rule

Solve for F(x)

Step 2: The Potato and Broccoli Fields

First we have to determine the length of line

QR
Next we have to determine two possible
measurements for the missing angles

(this is an educated guess; 180 100 =

80 therefore two angles that add up to 80
that are somewhat close in size

Next use Sin Law to determine another

side of the triangle

Next find the area of the triangle using

Sin Area

In order to find the cost we need to know the area of each

field

The area if the potato field

This is a right triangle therefore we can use the basic

triangle formula to find the area

First though we need to find the height (line AD) - Metric

Relation

The area of the Broccoli field

Similar triangles Therefore we can use the rule of

proportionality to find all the side lengths

Heros formula to determine the area.

Once we have the areas of the two triangles we need to

find the cost of each field.

Using the chart we can find the systems of equations to

determine the two variables

Then multiple the cost per meter of each vegetable

times the area of the field to get your total cost.

Distance formula

Once you have the area look at the two

rules in the piecewise function and
determine which rule does the area satisfy

Solve for C(a)

Step 5: Add all the cost of each field and make

sure that they fall within the budget .

+Step 1: The Carrot Field

The
farmer plants carrots every year in the same field. In 2010,the
cost to grow the carrots was $2000 and has increased by 5% every
year. The farmer would like to know how much it will cost to grow
carrots in 2013.

Exponential Function: f(x) = acx

Cost

Initial Value

f(x) = 2000(1.05)3
f(x) = $ 2315.25

Rate

c = 5% = = 1.05
Time in years

+Step 2: The Potato + Broccoli Fields

The
Area of the Potato Field

The farmer plants poatoes in a field shaped as traingle ABC shown below.
The length of is 9 m and the length of is 16 m

To find the area we need the height

Metric Relation

Label the diagram to match your memory aid

=dxe
= 9 x 16
f = 12

Find the area of the triangle ABC

Area =
Area =
Area = 150

+Area of the Broccoli Field

The
farmer plants broccoli in a field shaped as triangle SVW shown
below. The length of is 5.1 m, the length of is 9.75 m and the length
of is 12.75 m. Triangle STU is similar to triangle SVW.

Because we have similar triangles we can find the length of &

We can use proportionality to determine the side lengths

=
=

15.3(SW) = 260.1
SW = 17 m

=
=

15.3(WV) = 198.9
WV = 13 m

Area
of the triangle Heros Formula

Area =

P
P = 25.2

Area
Area
Area
Area

=
=
=
= 110 m2

+Finding the cost of the Potato and Broccoli Field

The farmer does not know the cost to grow the potatoes and broccoli.
Luckily, two neighbouring farms have also grown potatoes and
broccoli. The cost per m2 to grow the potatoes is the same for all of
the farms. The cost per m2 to grow the broccoli is the same for all of
the farms.

We have two unknowns (cost of the potatoes and cost of the

broccoli), therefore we have a systems of equations

Write the two rule

In order to solve we have to decide of 1 of the 3 methods (it doesnt matter which one)
Substitution method First isolate the y variable in one equation

80x + 320y = 7600

60x + 120y = 3300

60x + 120y =

Substitute in Y
120y
=
-60x
+
3300
80x + 320(-0.5x + 27.5) = 7600
3300
y = -0.5 + 27.5
80x 160x + 8800 = 7600
-80x = -1200
x = 15$ per m2
Solve for y
80(15) + 320y = 7600
1200 + 320y = 7600
Cost to grow Potatoes = Area x Cost per m 2
320y = 6400
= 150 m2 x $15
2
Y = 20$ per m
= $2250
Cost to grow Broccoli = 110 m2 X $20
= $2200
Total cost = $4450

+Step 3: The Cost of the Lettuce Field

The
following is a list of the growing costs of 12 of the lettuce fields in
the region. The farmers lettuce occupies the 72th percentile within
the list.

$440, $460, $465, $485, $495, $495, $500, $515, $520, $525,
$530, $540

What place is the 72th percentile:

Position = X # of data values

Position = x 12

Position = 8th number = $515

+
Step 4: The Squash Field
The
farmer plants squash in a field shaped as triangle PQR in the diagram

below. The coordinates of points Q & R are given and the scale is in
metres. The measures of angle QPR is 100. The measures of angles PQR
and PRQ are unknown.

Remember that this is the main part of the question that we are trying to
solve.
What is one possible set of measures for angles PQR and PRQ in the
squash field
We know that the sum of the interior angles of a triangle is 180, therefore the sum
of the two remaining angles is 80
The farmer is concerned that the squash wont grow properly in the corners of the
field. He must ensure that all of the angles in the corners of the squash
field measure at least 30
The two other angles look somewhat close in measure, one being slightly bigger
then the other, so lets say that <PQR = 35 and <PRQ = 45.
Now we have to prove that this can be a possible measurement.

Step 1: In order to find any form of area we need a side length. Since we have
the coordinates of points Q & R we can find the length of side QR using the
distance formula:

D=+
=
= 676
= 26 m


Now
that we have a side length we can use Sin Law to find
the other lengths of the triangle.
Sin Law

Remember we labelled <PQR 35 & <PRQ 45

Line PR = 15.143 m
Now that we have two sides and an angle we can use the
trigonometric formula (Sin formula) to find the area of the
squash field

Area = 139.2 m2

Step 2: The Cost to Grow the Squash

The cost to grow the squash is related to the area to be field being used as
shown by the following function. Let a represent the area of the squash field
in metres2, and C(a) represent the cost to grow the squash field.

The area of the squash field

satisfies the second ruleof the
piecewise function , since a
(area) is greater then 136.

, 0 a 136
2950
C a
16a 850 , a 136

To find the cost solve for C(a)

C(a) = 16(139.2) + 850
C(a) = 3077.21
To prove that this is an acceptable cost of the squash field find the total
of all the fields and make sure that they are within the budget of $10300
to $10400.
Total Cost = 2315.25 + 4450 + 515 + 3077.21 = $10 357.46

The Mosaic
As part of a community initiative, a local high school would like to put up a mosaic at
the front entrance of their building. This mosaic will be a piece of art that is created
using multiple coloured tiles of different shapes and sizes to make a picture.
You must determine a possible rule for the line passing
through points C and D in the schematic for the yellow
tile.

Find area of triangle PQR using Heros formula

x 3 2.8
x 8.4 cm

Coordinates
and B

of

Points A

Rule of Line Segment BC

Coordinates of Point C

Area of the Yellow Tile

Step 1: Length of each side

 The Space Allocated for Each of the

Coloured Tiles

Rule of line Segment CD