Club Math is the first ever student math club at Kaua‘i Community College. The club is interested in the practicality and usefulness of mathematics in everyday living. The goal is to involve the community by promoting this ideal. What follows
Club Math is the first ever student math club at Kaua‘i Community College. The club is interested in the practicality and usefulness of mathematics in everyday living. The goal is to involve the community by promoting this ideal. What follows is the last math puzzle printed two weeks ago followed by the answer. The club submits weekly brainteasers for the education page.
Lots of Confusion: A real estate tycoon bought a piece of land for $243 million, divided it into equal lots, and sold the entire package for $18 million per lot. The tycoon’s profit on the entire deal was equal to what six of the lots originally cost him. How many lots were in the piece of land?
Answer: Let x represent the number of lots divided. (Both of the 2s after the x are supposed to be an exponent, so, x squared) We form the equation below and solve:
18x – 243 = 6(243/x)
18×2 – 243x – 1458 = 0
2×2 – 27x – 162 = 0
(2x + 9)(x – 18) = 0
X = – 9/2 or 18
Since x is the number of lots divided, it has to be positive. So, there are 18 lots in that piece of land.
Next week’s teaser:
Going to School
Suppose students in your school arrive in groups each morning. You are the first to arrive, and you are alone but still considered a group (consisting of one person). The second group to arrive has two more people than the first group. The third group has two more people than the second group. If 576 students come to school today, how many groups arrived at school, assuming they all meet the requirement of having two more members than the group before them?