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Introduction/
The Scenario
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Introduction/
The Scenario
Your grand father has advised you that holiday mixed nut gift boxes are hot sale items at the end of the year holiday celebrations. You have decided that you want to start a seasonal mixed nut sale business. You intend to purchase bulk nut sales from The Nut Factory Online Order Site and from Diamond Bulk Dry Fruit Sale Site. Your research and survey indicates that people like such gift items in 6 lb, 8lb and 10lb gift boxes. Subsequently, you intend to mix two of each kind and arrange them in neatly decorated 6 lb, 8lb and 10lb gift boxes to increase their appeal and marketability. The cost cost to you of the gift boxes will be $20,$28 and $35. You want to properly determine the weight of each nut item to be mixed so that it is right proportion for the weight and price that you will be offering them for. Your major problem is in determining the correct weight of each of these item to be mixed.
You will use a spreadsheet program to calculate cost per unit weight of each type nut that you will be purchasing at bulk prices from the bulk Nut Sale sites. After you have sufficiently reviewed and equation solving from all the specified sites below you will determine correct weight for your nut mix using the Webmath Equation Solver.
Bulk nut prices are given for 5-pound weight. Each bulk nut prices are different for a unit weight measure. You therefore need to determine correct weight of each nut to be mixed. You will perform the following task.
Determine cost per pound of the 5-pound nuts at the online store.
The Resources:
You will need to visit several sites for this activity. You will need to visit the Online bulk nut sale store to determine cost of 5-pound nuts. You also need to visit some mathematics sites to learn and review the process of solving First-Degree equations and equations with fractions and parenthesis You will need to visit the following sites and perform the following activities:1. You will need to determine cost per pound of the bulk nuts from the online store. Use a table similar to one shown in next section (Process) or This Online Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet .
2. You need to write and work with equations involving parenthesis. Visit Algebra Help Site at: Using the Distributive Property to learn and review distributive property.
3. Solving Basic Equations and Practice and Review basic equation by visiting Algebra Help and ThinkQuest sites.
4. Practice and familiarize yourself with Equations consisting of fractions and Complex equations from ThinkQuest Site.
5. 4. Use Webmath Equation Solver to calculate the weight of each nut needed fo a mix of gift box.
6. Answers from Webmath equation solver will be recorded on a table.
1. First visit Nuts Bulk Sale Store at: The Nut Factory Online Order Site and from Diamond Bulk Dry Fruit Sale Site. As you may have noticed, nut prices are given for five or more pounds of weight. Each bulk nut prices are different for a unit weight measure. You will therefore need to determine cost per pound of the bulk nuts from the online store. Use a table below and a calculator to divide each bulk price by the weight or use This Online Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet .Round cost per pound to places of decimal places since this is money. Need Help with rounding? Visit:Webmath
Name of Bulk Nut Bulk Weight Bulk Cost Cost Per Pound Smoked Almonds Honey roasted Almonds Roasted Brazil Nuts Roasted/Unsalted Cashews Roasted/Unsalted Split Cashews Dry Roasted/Unsalted Peanuts Dry Roasted/Salted Peanuts Roasted Pecan Roasted Pecan Halves 2. Using the Distributive Property - Here is a site that will lend lots of help by reviewing and explaining distributive property. The distributive property is an algebra property which helps to multiply a single term with two or more terms inside parenthesis. The distributive property tells us that we can remove the parenthesis if the term that the parenthesis is being multiplied by is distributed to, or multiplied with each term inside the parenthesis. But I am already beginning to feel that this explanation is a little too wordy, so follow this link Using the Distributive Property to review and understand it better.
3. Solving Basic Equations and Practice and Review- Algebra is a branch of mathematics that help us solve real life problems quicker and easier. Visit this algebra.help and thinkquest.org links to review and sharpen your equation skills before you go naught about nuts in this webquest.
4. Equations consisting of fractions and Complex equations - Real life situations and problems do not always come in straight whole numbers! Real math experience includes fractions and decimals. Sometimes there are problem that needs to be solved that are completely made of fractions and/or decimals. In this webquest activity, cost and weight of nuts will be calculated to fractions of weights and dollars. While these may seem intimidating, they are not too hard to solve. Follow the link here to help you review and understand how to solve this type of equation.
5. Real life business situations and problems involve real mathematics! You are now going to determine the correct weight of nut items that will constitute each gift bob nut mixture that you will be selling. Determine correct weight for your nut mix using the Webmath Equation Solver or use a spreadsheet and chart your result in table like the one below. You may also want to View This Example before you proceed. Use Webmath Eqeuation Solver and thn record your result and equation used in the table below or Use This Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet Template that I have provided to specify equatiom and calculate the weight of each nut needed for a mix of gift box.
Name Given To Mixture Nut Item A Nut Item B Unit Cost A Unit Cost B Weght of Mix Cost of Mix Weght of A Weght of B
Money is written to two places of decimal. It is therefore more desirable if the cost per pound of the bulk item is specified or rounded to places of decimal.
Fractional equations are best solved or easier to work with when all the terms in the equation are reduced to whole numbers. This is normally achieved by determining the Lowest Common Multiple (LCM) of the denominators of the fraction and multiplying each term with it. Because decimals are in fact fractions, the same strategy can be used when the equation contains decimals, or multiples of ten that reduce all the terms in the equation to whole number can be used to multiply them.
Yes! You have seen for yourself
that most of the mathematics, especially
algebra can be applied directly in real life situation. Most entrepreneurial
activities and business can not succeed and thrive without the application of
mathematical and algebraic knowledge. Algebraic principle is the backbone that
drive the nations economic and technological achievement.
© Josiah Agbo 2001
