Homework #7

Alexis Anderson, Kelly Crawford, Julie Hawkins,

Jenna Polivka, and Holly Weston
TEKS & NCTM Standards
Teks

5.B.1 Mathematical process standards. The student uses mathematical processes to acquire and
demonstrate mathematical understanding. The student is expected to use a problem-solving model that
incorporates analyzing given information, formulating a plan or strategy, determining a solution,
justifying the solution, and evaluating the problem-solving process and the reasonableness of the
solution.

5.4B Algebraic reasoning. The student applies mathematical process standards to develop concepts of
expressions and equations. The student is expected to represent and solve multi-step problems
involving the four operations with whole numbers using equations with a letter standing for the
unknown quantity.

NCTM Standards

Problem Solving

Algebra: represent and analyze patterns and functions, using words, tables, and graphs.
Background Information Needed to Solve
Students should know how to:

● Do simple algebra
● Solve a problem that takes multiple steps
● Create an equation
● Solve for x and y
● Add, subtract, multiply, and divide
● Work with fractions and whole numbers
● Understand multiples and remainders
At the Elementary School’s Easter
Eggstravaganza, there is a raffle
to win a basket full of Easter
Eggs. The Big Basket can hold bunch
of eggs!

If the eggs are removed two at a

time, one egg will be left. If they
are removed three at a time, two
eggs will remain. If they’re
removed four at a time, three will
be left. If they’re taken out five
at a time, no eggs will be left.

What is the smallest possible

number of eggs that can be in the
Big Basket? How do you know?
Polya’s 4 Steps
Step 1: Understand the Problem

- Known(s)
- Unknown(s)
- Sketch (If Needed)
- Condition

Step 2: Create a Plan

Step 3: Carry Out the Plan

Step 4: Check your Work

Step 1: Understand the Problem
Known(s):

- If the eggs are removed two at a time, one egg will be left.
- If they’re removed three at a time, two eggs will remain.
- If they’re removed four at a time, three will be left.
- If they’re taken out five at a time, no eggs will be left.

Unknown:

- The smallest possible number of eggs in the basket

Step 1: Understand the Problem
Sketch:

- Not needed.

Condition:

- The number of eggs will be a multiple of 5

- The number of eggs divided by 2 will give a remainder of 1
- The number of eggs divided by 3 will give a remainder of 2
- The number of eggs divided by 4 will give a remainder of 3
Step 2: Create a Plan
1. First, we will make a chart of all of the possible numbers we can
have.
2. Next, we will come up with a range of numbers to list in the chart.
To find this, we will estimate a range by using the given
information.
3. We will make an equation for each condition to represent egg
removals. Take the total number of eggs and subtract it by how many
times you remove eggs, multiplied by how many eggs you are removing
and set it equal to the corresponding information in our known.
4. We will go through the numbers in our chart, following each
condition, as well as its corresponding equation, and rule out
numbers that don’t follow the conditions and equations. The smallest
number that holds true for all four equations will be our answer.
Step 3: Carry Out the Plan
First we should make a chart of all the 1 2 3 4 5

possible numbers we can have. Since we 6 7 8 9 10

know the number of eggs must be 11 12 13 14 15

divisible by 5, we will estimate a 16 17 18 19 20
range. A good range to look in will be
21 22 23 24 25
5x10 which equals 50. We can check
26 27 28 29 30
numbers 1-50 and see if any of these
31 32 33 34 35
numbers meet our requirements, and can
move on to larger numbers if needed. 36 37 38 39 40

41 42 43 44 45
So here are our possible numbers:
46 47 48 49 50
Step 3: Carry Out the Plan
First, we need to start out with the idea of 1 2 3 4 5

removing two eggs at a time. If we remove two 6 7 8 9 10

eggs at a time, we will be left with one.
11 12 13 14 15
x= total number of eggs
y2= times you remove two eggs 16 17 18 19 20

−2 2=1 21 22 23 24 25
This means 2 cannot evenly go into our total
26 27 28 29 30
number of eggs. Therefore, x is not divisible
by 2. All numbers divisible by two are even 31 32 33 34 35

numbers. So, x must be an odd number. 36 37 38 39 40

Now we can go through and rule out all the
41 42 43 44 45
even numbers. We will uncolor the box to show
46 47 48 49 50
that we have ruled out a number.
Step 3: Carry Out the Plan
Let’s move onto removing three eggs at a 1 2 3 4 5

time. If we do this, we will be left with 2 6 7 8 9 10

eggs.
11 12 13 14 15
x= number of total eggs
y3= times you remove three eggs 16 17 18 19 20

−3 3=2 21 22 23 24 25
This means 3 cannot evenly go into our total
26 27 28 29 30
number of eggs. Therefore, x is not divisible
by 3. Now we can go through and cross out any 31 32 33 34 35

numbers that are multiples of 3. 36 37 38 39 40

Here are the total number of eggs we could
41 42 43 44 45
possibly have at this point:
46 47 48 49 50
Step 3: Carry Out the Plan
Let’s move onto removing four eggs at a time. 1 2 3 4 5

If we do this, we will be left with 3 eggs. 6 7 8 9 10

x= number of total eggs
11 12 13 14 15
y4= times you remove four eggs
−4 4=2 16 17 18 19 20

This means 4 cannot evenly go into our total 21 22 23 24 25

number of eggs. Therefore, x is not divisible
26 27 28 29 30
by 4. We do not have to cross out any extra
numbers though because 4 is divisible by 2, 31 32 33 34 35

so when we crossed out all even numbers we 36 37 38 39 40

took care of any multiples of 4. So our table
41 42 43 44 45
will stay the same.
46 47 48 49 50
Step 3: Carry Out the Plan
Our last one to check is removing five eggs 1 2 3 4 5

at a time. If we do this, we will be left 6 7 8 9 10

with 0 eggs.
11 12 13 14 15
x= number of total eggs
y5= times you remove seven eggs 16 17 18 19 20

−5 5=0 21 22 23 24 25
This means 5 can evenly go into our total
26 27 28 29 30
number of eggs. Therefore, x is divisible by
5. Now we can go through and cross out any 31 32 33 34 35

number that is NOT a multiple of 5. 36 37 38 39 40

Here are all the possible total number of
41 42 43 44 45
eggs that can be in the Big Basket:
46 47 48 49 50
Step 3: Carry Out the Plan
Now we are left with our total possible
number of eggs to be either 5, 25, or
35.

We can start with the smallest number

and start substituting into our previous
equations to see if they hold true for
all conditions.

If none of these numbers work, we will

have to expand our search to numbers
above 50.
Step 3: Carry Out the Plan
Now there are two different ways we can check three possible totals.

First we can substitute the numbers into our equations and see if they
make all of them true. If the number does not make even one equation
true, we know it cannot be our total and can move onto the next number.
We know that the times you remove a certain amount of eggs must be a
whole number to make sense in the terms of our equation. Logically, you
cannot remove eggs 2.85 times. So, if we do not get a whole number, we
know the total number of eggs is incorrect.

We can also take the possible total and divide it by 2, 3, 4, and 5. When
divided, the remainder should match up with our knowns from the problem.
If they all match, this will be our answer.
Step 3: Carry Out the Plan
Let’s start with checking if 5 can be our total number of eggs. So we want to see if x = 5
can be true.

− 2 2 = 1 (Substitute) − 4 4 = 3 (Substitute)
5 − 2 2 = 1 (Subtract 5 from both sides) 5 − 4 4 = 3 (Subtract 5 from both sides)
−2 2 = −4 (Divide both sides by -2) −4 4 = −2 (Divide both sides by -4)
2
= 2 (Whole Number - True) 4
= ½ (Not a Whole Number - False)

− 3 3 = 2 (Substitute)
5 − 3 3 = 2 (Subtract 5 from both sides)
−3 3 = −3 (Divide both sides by -3) 5/2 = 2 remainder 1 (True to Condition)
3
= 1 (Whole Number - True)
5/3 = 1 remainder 2 (True to Condition)

5/4 = 1 remainder 1 (Not True to Condition)

≠ 5 eggs
Step 3: Carry Out the Plan
Now that we know 5 can’t be our total number of eggs, let’s check 25. So we want to see if
x = 25 can be true.

− 2 2 = 1 (Substitute) 25/2 = 12 remainder 1 (True to Condition)

25 − 2 2 = 1 (Subtract 25 from both sides)
−2 2 = −24 (Divide both sides by -2) 25/3 = 8 remainder 1 (Not True to Condition)
2
= 12 (Whole Number - True)

− 3 3 = 2 (Substitute)
25 − 3 3 = 2 (Subtract 25 from both sides)
−3 3 = −23 (Divide both sides by -3)
3
= 23/3 (Not a Whole Number - False)

≠ 25 eggs
Step 3: Carry Out the Plan
Now that we know 25 can’t be our total number of eggs, let’s check 35. So we want to see if
x = 35 can be true.

− 2 2 = 1 (Substitute) − 4 4 = 3 (Substitute)
35 − 2 2 = 1 (Subtract 35 from both sides) 35 − 4 4 = 3 (Subtract 35 from both sides)
−2 2 = −34 (Divide both sides by -2) −4 4 = −32 (Divide both sides by -4)
2
= 17 (Whole Number - True) 4
= 8 (Whole Number - True)

− 3 3 = 2 (Substitute) − 5 5 = 0 (Substitute)
35 − 3 3 = 2 (Subtract 35 from both sides) 35 − 5 5 = 0 (Subtract 35 from both sides)
−3 3 = −33 (Divide both sides by -3) −5 5 = -35 (Divide both sides by -5)
= 11 (Whole Number - True) 5
= 7 (Whole Number - True)
3

35/2 = 17 remainder 1 (True to Condition)

35/3 = 11 remainder 2 (True to Condition)
35/4 = 8 remainder 3 (True to Condition)
= 35 eggs
35/5 = 7 remainder 0 (True to Condition)
Step 4: Check your work
● Does the answer make sense?
○ Yes, because the basket is so big, the amount of eggs that we got is
a logical answer to the problem.
● If you removed the eggs 2 at a time from 35, one egg would remain.
○ 35/2 = 17 remainder 1
● If you removed the eggs 3 at a time from 35, two eggs would remain.
○ 35/3 = 11 remainder 2
● If you removed the eggs 4 at a time from 35, three eggs would remain.
○ 35/4 = 8 remainder 3
● If you removed the eggs 5 at a time from 35, no eggs would remain.
○ 35/5 = 7 remainder 0
● The total number cannot be a multiple of 2, 3, or 4 and 35 is not.
● The total number MUST be a multiple of 5, and 35 is divisible evenly by 5.
How this Problem Can be Used in the Classroom
● Warm-up Problem - get the kids
thinking in the realm of numbers
● Group or Individual Brain puzzler-
you can make it more complicated to
which the students have to think
harder
● Assessment of Knowledge - judge how
well the students understand
multiples and remainders as well as
problem solving
● Manipulatives - Can be used as an
introduction to multiples and
remainders if used with base blocks
 Thank you!
Are there any
questions or
comments?