This problem requires you to apply your skills with fractions and think logically to develop your response. Please show as much work as possible to clearly show the steps you used to find the solution. You must support any results you give with an explanation that makes sense. A wealthy doctor owned 17 expensive cars. Before he died, he prepared a wacky will for his 3 sons. The will stated that his 17 cars be divided among his three sons in a particular way: half of the cars were to go to his eldest son one-third to his middle son one-ninth to his youngest son. Everyone was puzzled. How can 17 cars be divided in such a way? While the sons were arguing about what to do, a mathematics teacher drove up in her new sports car. "Can I be of help?" she asked. After the sons explained the situation, she parked her sports car next to the doctor’s 17 cars and hopped out. "How many cars are there now?" The sons counted 18. Then she carried out the terms of the will. She gave 9, or half of the cars to the oldest son. The middle son got 6 cars or one-third of the cars. The youngest son got 2 cars, or one-ninth of the cars. “9 plus 6 plus 2 is 17. So the one car left over is mine.” She jumped in her sports car and drove away. Explain how adding one car helped the teacher to solve the problem. Can you write a similar will for 11 cars? {HINT: write out the fractional amounts that each son is to receive and add them up.}
This problem requires you to apply your skills with fractions and think logically to develop your response. Please show as much work as possible to clearly show the steps you used to find the solution. You must support any results you give with an explanation that makes sense.
A wealthy doctor owned 17 expensive cars. Before he died, he prepared a wacky will for his 3 sons. The will stated that his 17 cars be divided among his three sons in a particular way:
- half of the cars were to go to his eldest son
- one-third to his middle son
- one-ninth to his youngest son.
Everyone was puzzled. How can 17 cars be divided in such a way?
While the sons were arguing about what to do, a mathematics teacher drove up in her new sports car.
"Can I be of help?" she asked.
After the sons explained the situation, she parked her sports car next to the doctor’s 17 cars and hopped out.
"How many cars are there now?" The sons counted 18.
Then she carried out the terms of the will. She gave 9, or half of the cars to the oldest son. The middle son got 6 cars or one-third of the cars. The youngest son got 2 cars, or one-ninth of the cars.
“9 plus 6 plus 2 is 17. So the one car left over is mine.” She jumped in her sports car and drove away.
Explain how adding one car helped the teacher to solve the problem. Can you write a similar will for 11 cars?
{HINT: write out the fractional amounts that each son is to receive and add them up.}
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