Lesson 1

Lesson 1: Comparing and Interpreting Rates

 

Focus

 

Being able to compare items and interpret the results is a valuable skill. Understanding when items can and should be compared is part of that skill. Sometimes, people try to compare items that have no real connection to one another.

 

Have you ever heard the expression “comparing apples to oranges”? This expression is used when someone is trying to compare two different things that are not closely related. As a result, a person will not be very successful with the comparison.

 

For example, comparing the colour of a car to the litres per hundred kilometres that the car gets doesn’t make any sense—it is like comparing apples to oranges. On the other hand, comparing the litres per hundred kilometres that a car gets to the type of engine that it has could be of value since there is a connection between the type of motor and how much fuel is used. This kind of comparison is useful and it may help someone decide which car to purchase.

 

 

Different strategies can be used to compare items. One strategy is to use rates. In your grade eight mathematics courses you learned how to calculate rates. In this lesson you will use rates to compare different items. Rates can help you determine which item is the cheapest, which item is the best buy, or which item is best suited for a specific situation.

 

This lesson will help you answer the following inquiry questions:

• How can rates be used to represent, interpret, and compare different items and/or situations?
  
  
• How can rates be used to solve problems?

Assessment

• Try This 2

This lesson provides you with opportunities to investigate, review examples, and practise the knowledge and skills you are learning. For instance, in Are You Ready? and Self-Check, you can check your answers to see if you are on track. If you are having difficulty with concepts or calculations, contact your teacher.

 

All assessment items you encounter need to be placed in your course folder. You should have already had a discussion with your teacher about which items you will be handing in for marking. Make sure you follow your teacher’s instructions.

 

Save a copy of the Lesson 1 Assignment to your course folder. You will receive more information about how to complete the assignment later in this lesson.

Time

 

Each module is made up of lessons. Each lesson in Mathematics 20-2 is designed to be completed in approximately 80 minutes. You may find that you require more or less time to complete different lessons depending on your strengths. It is important that you progress at your own pace based on your individual learning requirements.

 

Materials and Equipment

• calculator