Solving Number Problems Using Model Method
This is the second part of the Word Problem Solving Series on Numbers. In the previous post, I have shown you ways on how to solve number problems mentally by working backward. In this post, I am going to teach you how to use models, rectangles in particular, to solve the problems in the previous post. This representation is called the model method. The model method is very popular in Singapore.
Example 1
One number is 1 more than the other. Their sum is 47. What are the numbers? Solution
Let us represent numbers using rectangles. The first rectangle is the smaller number, and the second rectangle is the larger which is 1 more than the smaller. Clearly, if take away 1 from the larger number, the two numbers will be equal.
In addition, if we take away 1 from the larger number, then, we also have to take away 1 from the sum which gives us 46 after subtraction. Since the two rectangles have the same size, they will have to split 46 equally. This gives each large rectangle 23 each. This means that the smaller number is 23 and the larger number is 23 + 1 = 24. » Read more