plain jane Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 My brain is fuzzy today. LOL Tell me how to solve this one: Erin has $80. Alan has 3 times as much as Tom. What is the average amount of money they have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tress Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 The amount of money could be anything. Are you sure you are not missing some information? ETA: or do you want to do this algebraic? Amount of Tom=x Amount of Alan=3x Average= (3x+x+80)/3 = (4x+80)/3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plain jane Posted January 20, 2013 Author Share Posted January 20, 2013 The amount of money could be anything. Are you sure you are not missing some information? ETA: or do you want to do this algebraic? Amount of Tom=x Amount of Alan=3x Average= (3x+x+80)/3 = (4x+80)/3 It's a SM question so no algebra. That's all the information I have. I do have 4 multiple choice answers (because the entire test is multiple choice) but I don't think they have any bearing on the problem itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 Erin has $80. Alan has 3 times as much as Tom. What is the average amount of money they have? There is not enough information to give a numerical solution for the problem - unless an amount for Alan's or Tom's money is specified, or a relation to Erin's money is given. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plain jane Posted January 20, 2013 Author Share Posted January 20, 2013 There is not enough information to give a numerical solution for the problem - unless an amount for Alan's or Tom's money is specified, or a relation to Erin's money is given. So are the kids supposed to work backwards from the multiple choice answers?? It is a placement test for SM 5B. I copied out the problem word for word so I have no further information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 So are the kids supposed to work backwards from the multiple choice answers?? It is a placement test for SM 5B. I copied out the problem word for word so I have no further information. What ARE the multiple choice answers? How are they supposed to "work backwards"? As it is phrased, the problem has no numerical solution. Now, if Erin GAVE her money to Tom and Allen, one would have 60 and the other 20 and the average of the two would be 40 - half the total. We could guess at other ways the problem may be intended - but if the problem does not SAY that this is the case, it is useless. Maybe there is a typo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_l_e_0..Q_c Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 do you have a link to that placement test? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 I think there’s a typo in the original problem. Some information is left out. We love Singapore Math but we’ve definitely come across occasional mistakes in the word problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_l_e_0..Q_c Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 Or you could use this placement test instead: http://www.singaporemath.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/pl_pm5btest.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plain jane Posted January 20, 2013 Author Share Posted January 20, 2013 do you have a link to that placement test? I am considering putting my dd into CyberShala's online classes. I am looking at their placement tests and this one was for the 5B level. http://www.cybershala.com/placement-test.php I also looked at the 6A placement tests on the link but some of the questions have weird little diagrams and I am unsure what to do with them. I'm guessing it's a conversion from the original into a Word document but it is very confusing for my dd (and myself). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_l_e_0..Q_c Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 Ok, that problem is unsolvable. There's definitely a mistake in its wording. As for the 6A placement test, it looks ok on my computer. I could transfer it to a PDF format, and send it to you that way, if you want. But all this makes me weary of the company Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plain jane Posted January 20, 2013 Author Share Posted January 20, 2013 Ok, that problem is unsolvable. There's definitely a mistake in its wording. As for the 6A placement test, it looks ok on my computer. I could transfer it to a PDF format, and send it to you that way, if you want. But all this makes me weary of the company Ok, Phew. It was freaking my dd out. She's not that good with math and already lacking confidence in her abilities. She will be glad to hear it's a problem with the question and not her abilities. :) As for the weird symbols I think it is because I use Open Office on my Mac and not actual MS Word. I get little airplanes and cars in the middle of the word problems and it's confusing. It's more likely a problem with me than the company. I don't think dd is ready to take the 6A exam anyways so we'll be okay. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 I don't think that placement test came from Singapore Mathâ„¢. With a quick glance, I found what looks like another typo, which doesn't give me warm fuzzies about the instruction: The average of 5 numbers is 10. The sum of 2 of the numbers is 30. What is the average of the other 2 numbers? Uh, what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 Unless you guys use a comma instead of a / or divided sign 2A is a bit strange too. I hope their instruction is better than their proof reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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