B. Solving Problems using Systems of Linear Equations


Investigation

  1. Claire likes to make beaded bracelets and she hopes to make money by selling them at a local farmer's market for $9 each. A stall at the market costs $65 per week and each bracelet costs Claire $2 to make. How many bracelets will Claire need to sell in order to make money?



  2. The process for solving a problem using mathematics can be described in many ways. One description is shown in the diagram. Try to match the stages of this process to those you used to solve the problem in part 1.



  3. Consider the following problem.

    Howie is planning to open a restaurant. How many customers will the restaurant need to serve each week for Howie to live comfortably?

    1. How is Howie's problem similar to Claire's problem?
    2. Why is Howie's problem more complex than Claire's problem?
    3. How does solving Claire's problem help to solve Howie's problem?
    4. Using the diagram as a guide, what types of things do you expect to see in each step of the solution to Howie's problem?