GED Info

PROBLEM ONE

HERE’S THE QUESTION: HOW MUCH IS MY BONUS? NOW I NEED A PLAN TO FIGURE IT OUT. HOW CAN I FIGURE OUT THIS QUESTION? WELL, I KNOW THAT I MADE $50 FOR THE FIRST SALE… …PLUS $100 FOR EACH ADDITIONAL SALE. WHENEVER YOU SEE “FOR” OR “PER” THAT PROBABLY MEANS MULTIPLYING.

SO HOW MANY ADDITIONAL SALES DO I HAVE? IT’S NOT SIX, BECAUSE ONE SALE COUNTED FOR THE FIRST $50. IT’S 6 MINUS 1, OR 5.

NOW, IT’S JUST MATH TO FIGURE IT OUT. $100 TIMES 5 IS $500…

Bonus = $50 + ($100 x 5) = $50 + $500

…And $50 plus $500 is $550.

IS THAT ONE OF THE ANSWERS? IT SURE IS! B IS $550. THAT’S THE ANSWER! B, $550.

PROBLEM TWO
IT’S ASKING, “WHICH EXPRESSION SHOWS HOW MUCH MONEY SHE NEEDS TO MAKE PER PAIR OF EARRINGS?” WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? LET’S LOOK AT THE ANSWERS FOR A MINUTE.

A) 4(30/15)
B) 4/30
C) 15/30
D) 30/15
E) 30/4

THEY’RE ARE ALL BITS OF MATH—SOMETHING DIVIDED BY SOMETHING OR MULTIPLIED, AREN’T THEY? THESE ARE EXPRESSIONS, BITS OF MATH. THE POINT IS, WHICH ONE SHOWS HOW MUCH SHE NEEDS TO MAKE PER PAIR OF EARRINGS?

THERE ARE ONLY TWO NUMBERS IN THE PROBLEM, 30 AND 15. IF THOSE ARE THE NUMBERS I NEED IN MY EQUATION, THEN IT MUST BE C OR D, RIGHT? LET’S LOOK AT THOSE FOR A MINUTE.

C) 15/30
D) 30/15

C IS 15/30, OR 1/2. THAT DOESN’T QUITE SOUND RIGHT. 50 CENTS PER PAIR OF EARRINGS? THAT CAN’T BE RIGHT. HOW ABOUT D? IT’S 30/15, OR ONE AND A HALF. A DOLLAR FIFTY PER PAIR? THAT’S NOT GOING TO GET HER $30 AN HOUR. SHE MAKES ONE PAIR OF EARRINGS EVERY FIFTEEN MINUTES, SO SHE CAN ONLY MAKE FOUR PAIRS AN HOUR.

FOUR PAIRS AN HOUR? THERE’S THAT FOUR THAT KEEPS CROPPING UP IN THE EQUATION. I SEE WHAT I DID NOW. MY FIGURES ARE 15 MINUTES AND $30 PER HOUR. THEY’RE NOT USING THE SAME MEASUREMENT OF TIME. I NEED TO CHANGE ALL THE TIME INTO HOURS.

I THINK I’VE ELIMINATED C AND D.

AND I DON’T REALLY SEE ANY REASON TO HAVE BOTH THE 4 AND THE 15 IN THE SOLUTION, DO YOU? LET’S CROSS OFF A.

SO, I’M EITHER GOING TO BE DIVIDING 4 BY 30 OR 30 BY 4. LET’S LOOK AT THESE. 4/30 IS A FRACTION—IT’S PRETTY SMALL. IT WOULD BE LESS THAN A DOLLAR. THAT’S GOT TO BE WRONG.

I HOPE E WORKS OUT! IT’S THE ONLY ONE I’VE GOT LEFT. 30/4. WELL, SHE WANTS TO MAKE $30 PER HOUR. SHE CAN MAKE 4 PAIRS OF EARRINGS IN AN HOUR, SO IT MAKES SENSE THAT YOU’D DIVIDE 30 BY 4, DOESN’T IT? YOU GET 15 IF YOU DIVIDE 30 BY 2. SO IT’S HALF OF 15—$7.50, I GUESS. THAT SOUNDS REASONABLE. IF I MULTIPLY $7.50 BY 4, THE NUMBER OF PAIRS OF EARRINGS SHE CAN MAKE IN AN HOUR, I GET $30, THE AMOUNT SHE WANTS TO MAKE. SO THAT MUST BE THE ANSWER! THE ANSWER IS E.

A) 4(30/15)
B) 4/30
C) 15/30
D) 30/15
E) 30/4