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Day 1: Same Equations, Different Solutions

Directions: Work through this problem set individually, while getting
help from those around you as needed. Don’t write down stuff that
you don’t understand just to “write something down.” Do remember
the four group rules that we use. And PLEASE ask a question to your
group before you ask the teacher!

Don’t forget about the stuff.

• Important Stuff. This is where the main ideas of the class are
developed. You should definitely complete these exercises!

• Neat Stuff. This extends ideas from the important stuff.

• Tough Stuff. This extends the size of your brain.

Today’s standard:

Standard 6: Solve equations requiring fractions and decimals

Important Stuff
1. For each of these equations, find at least three
equivalent solutions. Organize your answers.
a. 5x +3 = 12
b. 8 - 2x = 3x
c. 3 +19x =12x +1
d. 3(x +1) =10x
e. 4(x + (4 - x)) = 44x - 4
f. x = 2x

2. Write an equation with integer coefficients1 that has the

1
Every equation in Problem 1 is written with integer coefficients. The
2
equation “
3 x +1=1 0” is not written with integer coefficients.
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given number as a solution.
a. 0.6
b. 0.6
c. 8.125
22
d. −
7

e. 3 13
f. 10.152846
3. Can every linear equation with integer coefficients be
solved with fractions? Provide a bunch of evidence.

4. Solve these equations.

a. 4x + 5 =1
b. 8x +1 0 = 2
4
c.
3 x + 53 = 13
1 5 + 4x
d. =
3 3

5. Describe what’s happening in Problem 3.

Neat Stuff
Fraction Formulas!
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1 1
6. Make a formula for writing + as a single fraction.
a b

a c ad + bc
7. Show how to derive the fraction addition formula: + = .
b d bd

a c
8. Prove the “cross-multiplication” formula: = if and only if
b d
ad = bc .

Egyptian Fractions

Egyptian mathematical notation allowed for writing unit fractions of the

1 1 1 1
form , such as , , , and so on. To express fractions where the
n 2 3 4
numerator is not 1, they had to write the fraction as a sum of unit
3 1 1
fractions with different denominators. For example: = + , and
4 2 4
6 1 1 1
= + + .
7 2 3 42

9. Express the following fractions as “Egyptian Fractions”

5
a.
8

3
b.
8
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2
c.
5

3
d.
7

4
e.
9

Tough Stuff
Do Problem 1 as if you were working in a base 12 (“duodecimal”)
system. Use A to represent a digit worth 10, and B to represent a digit
worth 11.

10. For each of these equations, find at least three

equivalent solutions.
a. 5x +3 = 12
b. 8 - 2x = 3x
c. 3 +19x =12x +1
d. 3(x +1) =10x
e. 4(x + (4 - x)) = 44x - 4
f. x = 2x

Questions surrounding Egyptian fractions

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▪ The Erdős–Straus conjecture concerns the length of the shortest

expansion for a fraction of the form 4/n. Does an expansion
4 1 1 1
= + +
n x y z
exist for every n? It is known to be true for all n < 1014, and for all but a
vanishingly small fraction of possible values of n, but the general truth of
the conjecture remains unknown.
Solving linear equations

Representing equations in different forms