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School math question. Your input?

Posted on 03/10/2015 5:48:37 PM PDT by MNDude

My daughter has this problem-solving question for her homework. I'm feeling kind of dumb on this one. What do you think is the correct answer?

Mrs. Feltner wants to put a border on a baby blanket. The area of the blanket is 12 square units. Which shows how many units of materials she needs for the border?

A 12 units B 14 units C 15 units D 21 units


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To: RetiredTexasVet
I didn't post an approximation. I posted the EXACT answer: every real number between 8√3 and ∞ is an answer.
221 posted on 03/11/2015 7:24:25 PM PDT by FredZarguna (O, Reason not the need.)
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To: MNDude

Having flogged the question to death mathematically, we can have even more fun by considering the practical matters that add another layer of ill-posedness:

Perhaps the blanket is rectangular has selvedge along one side (intended to be the bottom) and a border is needed only on three sides, or selvedge along two sides (used as the long sides) and a border is needed on only two.

Perhaps the border material is crocheting cotton, in which case the correct answer depends both on the perimeter of the blanket and the crocheting pattern used (and will be much larger than the perimeter in linear units).


222 posted on 03/12/2015 6:54:12 AM PDT by The_Reader_David (And when they behead your own people in the wars which are to come, then you will know...)
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To: The_Reader_David

You’ve actually got the point.

The problem isn’t one of math. It is training to look to the authority figure’s intent as to context and narrative in order to regurgitate the approved answer.


223 posted on 03/12/2015 6:59:43 AM PDT by jjotto ("Ya could look it up!")
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To: gundog
What about the corners?

The correct answer would be 14(field perimeter) + 4(corners) = 18.

224 posted on 03/12/2015 7:08:17 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: FredZarguna

The answer was 14. The question wasn’t ambiguous and contained 2 constraints that were fairly clear. Every real number .... is not correct because constraint 2 limited your choice to one of the four offered choices.


225 posted on 03/12/2015 5:51:59 PM PDT by RetiredTexasVet (When Socialism changes to Communism: When they take your guns and bring out theirs.)
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To: RetiredTexasVet

Spoken like a true slave. Enjoy your chains.


226 posted on 03/12/2015 10:26:32 PM PDT by FredZarguna (O, Reason not the need.)
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To: RetiredTexasVet

Not only spoken like a true slave, also spoken like an innumerate one: of the four answers, three of them are correct, and 14 is NOT “more” correct than 15 or 21.


227 posted on 03/12/2015 10:35:30 PM PDT by FredZarguna (O, Reason not the need.)
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To: FredZarguna
The question is ambiguous and it is biased in favor of the females in the class. Girls are more likely to have experience with sewing and baby blankets than the boys.

The question does say blanket. A 3x4 would be more suited for a blanket. The other dimensions, not so much.

Again...Stupid ambiguous question.

228 posted on 03/12/2015 10:43:06 PM PDT by wintertime
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