Lesson 26
Testing Points to Solve Inequalities
- Let’s critique some peoples’ reasoning.
26.1: Math Talk: Solving Equations
Solve each equation mentally.
\(3x+5=14\)
\(3(x-1)+5=14\)
\(3x-3+5=14\)
\(3(1-x)+5=14\)
26.2: Character Chat
Andre is working on \(\frac{5x}{3} - 1 < \frac23\). He figured out that when \(x = 1, \frac{5(1)}{3} - 1 = \frac23\). He tested all these points:
- When \(x = \text-1, \frac{5(\text-1)}{3} - 1 = \frac{\text-8}{3}, \frac{\text-8}{3} < \frac23\)
- When \(x = 0, \frac{5(0)}{3} - 1 = \text-1, \text-1 < \frac23\)
- When \(x = 2, \frac{5(2)}{3} - 1 = \frac73, \frac73 > \frac23\)
- When \(x = 3, \frac{5(3)}{3} - 1 = 4, 4 > \frac23\)
Based on these results, Andre determines that solutions for \(x\) should include -1 and 0, but not 2 or 3.
- Andre is frustrated with how much computation he had to do. What advice would you give him about how many numbers to test and which ones to test?
- Mai was trying to solve \(10 - 3x > 7\). She saw that when \(x=1\), \(10 - 3(1) = 7\). She reasoned, “Because the problem has a greater than sign, I wrote \(x > 1\).” Mai skipped the step of testing points, and that led to an error.
- Help Mai test points to determine the correct solution to the inequality.
- Explain to Mai what went wrong with her reasoning.
26.3: Error!
Each of these solutions has something wrong. Circle the place that is wrong and write a correction.
- \(\begin{align} 2x + 3 &= 5x – 4 \\ 5x &= 5x – 4 \\ 0 &= \text-4 \\ \end{align}\)
- \(\begin{align} 5x + 4 &= 10 - 5x \\ 4 &= 10 \\ \end{align}\)
- \(\begin{align} 2x + 8 &= 2x + 100 \\ 4x + 8 &= 100 \\ x + 2 &= 50 \\ x &= 48 \\ \end{align}\)
- \(\begin{align} 5x + 50 &= 20x \\ 50 &= 25x \\ 2 &= x \\ \end{align}\)
-
\(\begin{align} 2(x + 8) &= 16 \\ 2x + 16 &= 16 \\ 2x &= 0 \\ \end{align}\)
No solution - \(\begin{align} (x + 3) + 5 &= 5 \\ x + 3 &= 0 \\ x = 3 \\ \end{align}\)