Running Head: INEQUALITIES 1

Kimberly Thomas
MAT221
Instructor Gregory Dlabach
May 5, 2014

Running Head: INEQUALITIES 2



Inequalities

In algebra, we have many terms that are used to define expressions. One term is
inequality which is used when we want to determine what an expression is less than, greater
than, or equal to. Instead of using equal signs, we use different symbols to determine less than,
greater than, and the sum. Our goal is to solve the inequality and doing so, we pay close
attention to the symbols that are use. Examples of the symbols are as follows:
< greater than
> less than
greater than or equal to
less than or equal to

An inequality is not as specific as an equation however, it tells us that two values are not
equal. When determining an inequality it is important to pay attention to the direction of the
symbol. An inequality does have similarities with equalities however, an inequality remains
valid if the same number is added to or subtracted from both side. In the case of determining the
Body Mass Index or BMI of an individual we would use an inequality equation.
Determining our BMI is important to know as it determines whether our weight is normal or
overweight. In order to determine the BMI we must divide the current weight in kilograms by
the square of our height in meters. In order to determine weight and height in the metric system
we can use the formula BMI =

. In this formula W is the weight in pounds and H is the

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height in inches. To demonstrate how the BMI is determined we will use four different intervals
as examples. The intervals will include three compound inequalities and one regular
inequality. A compound inequality is two or more inequalities together or a connected chain
of inequalities. Our intervals are as described below:
17 < BMI <= 22 might have a longer life span than average
23 < BMI <= 25 probably not overweight
25 < BMI <= 30 probably overweight
BMI > 30 obese

Our first interval is that of an individual who has a low BMI and may have a longer life
span. This interval contains a compound inequality, which is as follows:
17 < BMI < 22

We then create an equivalent inequality by replacing the BMI with the formula as described
earlier.
17 <

< 22
We then replace H
2
with height in inches. I will use my height in inches in the example:
17 <

< 22
Since our denominator is squared, we will multiply it times itself:
17 <

< 22
We will now multiply our denominator by each numerator:
17(3844) < 703W(3844) < 22(3844)
All three are now divided by 703 to isolate w:
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Our answer determines the appropriate BMI and those that may have a longer life span:
93 <W < 120
We can see that those who weight between 93lbs and 120lbs will possibly have a longer life
span.
In the next inequality, we use a different procedure but use the same information as the
first inequality. In this formula we will solve W. Our formula is as follows:
23 <

< 25
We multiply all terms by H
2
to remove from the denominator:

Next, we divide the terms by 703 to remove W:

We arrive at an equivalent inequality to determine the second weight interval. Our height is
squared and is substituted for the formula to arrive at the second weight:

Next, we multiply:

Finally, we use division:
126<W<137
Our calculations show that individuals who are 62 inches tall and weigh between 126lbs. and
137lbs. are not considered overweight.
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Our next formula that we use will determine those who are considered overweight for this
height. The values we now will use are 25 and 30. Our formula is as follows:

Next, we multiply:

We now use division:
137 < W < 164
Our solution gives shows us that those who are 62 inches tall and weigh between 137lbs. and
164lbs. are probably overweight.
In our final interval, we determine obesity at 62 inches tall. This interval is not a
compound inequality therefore, we will only use the middle and right terms of the basic
inequality. In this case, we will change our arrow symbol to greater than or equal to which is
the sign and substitute with 30. Our formula is as follows:

Next, we multiply:

Finally, we divide:

Our calculations show us that individuals who are 62 inches tall and weight 164lbs. or more are
considered obese which would cause major health concerns. However, the relation between
body weight and mortality remains controversial. The question remains unresolved regarding
what is considered optimal weight and longevity. Obesity is still being considered equivalent to
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being the cause of death along with other causes. Weight varies according to age, race, and sex.
Smoking or other illnesses play a part as well to death rates. There are findings however that
greatly support that there is an increase in the risk of death due to those who are morbidly obese
therefore maintaining a healthy weight is imperative to good health.

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References

Calle, E. E., Thun, M. J., Petrelli, J. M., Rodriguez, C., & Heath Jr, C. W. (1999). Body-mass
index and mortality in a prospective cohort of US adults. New England Journal of
Medicine, 341(15), 1097-1105.

Kittaneh, F. (2007). Inequalities for commutators of positive operators. Journal of Functional
Analysis, 250(1), 132-143.

Dugopolski, M. (2012). Linear Equations and Inequalities in One Variable. In Elementary and
intermediate algebra (pp. 145-151). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.