(Video) The Decision - Math Video Challenge
by PBSQ with the MATHCOUNTS Foundation
Let's warm up with the winning video from the 2015 MATHCOUNTS Math Video Challenge!
This video by PBSQ with the MATHCOUNTS Foundation covers the substitution method.
Summary
Solving systems of equations can be really important, especially when your colleagues have a super weird way of keeping track of basketball statistics.
In this video, a college basketball scout needs some help figuring out how many points his prospective players really scored. Eventually, he does it by using the substitution method!
Here is the word problem from the video:
"In a basketball game, Alex and Brock scored 23 points in all, Alex and Cash scored 21 points in all, and Brock and Cash scored 20 points in all. How many points did the three guys score together?"
We can write three equations to model this word problem! If we let A=Alex’s points,B=Brock’s points, and C=Cash’s points, then:
A+BA+CB+C=23=21=20
How can we figure out how many points the guys scored all together?
Here are the steps our mathematician used (the explanation of systems of equations starts at 2:43):
Step One: Solve for A in two equations.
A+BA=23=23−B
A+CA=21=21−C
Step Two: Since 23−B and 21−C are both equal to A, we can set them equal to each other by the transitive property of equality. Then we can solve for C in terms of B (or B in terms of C, if you want).
21−C−CC=23−B=2−B=B−2
Step Three: Substitute C=B−2 into the equation B+C=20 so that we have an equation with just B′s. This way, we can solve for B!
B+CB+(B−2)B+B−22B−22BB=20=20=20=20=22=11
Step Four: Now, we can substitute B=11 into the equations A+B=23 and B+C=20 to solve for A and C!
A+BA+(11)A=23=23=12
B+C(11)+CC=20=20=9
Step Five: Check that your solutions actually work!
A+B12+1123=23=23=23
A+C12+921=21=21=21
B+C11+920=20=20=20
Step Six: Our initial word problem asked us to find the total number of points that the guys scored together. To do this, we just have to add together Alex's points, Brock's points, and Cash's points!
A+B+C=12+11+9=32
So, in total, the guys scored 32 points!
Another Example Problem
Now let's try a different word problem.
Solution
Here's the word problem again:
"In a basketball game, Zoey and Yasmine scored 25 points in all, Yasmine and Xariya scored 31 points in all, and Xariya and Zoey scored 26 points in all. How many points did the three gals score together?"
Let's let Z=Zoey’s points,Y=Yasmine’s points, and X=Xariya’s points. Now we have the following system of equations:
Z+YY+XX+Z=25=31=26
Step One: Solve for a variable in two equations. It can be any of the variables, so let's just pick Z.
Z+YZ=25=25−Y
X+ZZ=26=26−X
Step Two: Since 25−Y and 26−X are both equal to Z, we can set them equal to each other. Then we can solve for X in terms of Y (or Y in terms of X, if you want).
26−X−XX=25−Y=−1−Y=Y+1
Step Three: Substitute X=Y+1 into the equation Y+X=31 so that we have an equation with just Y′s. This way, we can solve for Y!
Y+XY+(Y+1)Y+Y+12Y+12YY=31=31=31=31=30=15
Step Four: Now, we can substitute Y=15 into the equations Z+Y=25 and Y+X=31 to solve for Z and X!
Z+YZ+(15)Z=25=25=10
Y+X(15)+XX=31=31=16
Step Five: Check that your solutions actually work!
Z+Y10+1525=25=25=25
Y+X15+631=31=31=31
X+Z16+1026=26=26=26
Step Six: Our initial word problem asked us to find the total number of points that the gals scored together. To do this, we just have to add together Zoey's points, Yasmine's points, and Xariya's points!
Z+Y+X=10+15+16=41
So, in total, the gals scored 41 points!