You must solve each of the limericks below using algebra in order to receive credit.
Said a certain young lady named Gwen
of her tally of smitten young men,
"One less and three more
Divided by four
Together give one more than ten."
How many boyfriends had she?
Some freshmen from Trinity Hall
Played hockey with a wonderful ball;
They found that two times its weight,
Plus weight squared, minus eight,
Gave "nothing" in ounces at all.
What was the weight of the ball?
Solution to the Problem:
The answers to the limericks are 42 boyfriends and 2 ounces.In Limerick #1, let x = # of boyfriends.
Then (x - 1 + 3) / 4 = 10 + 1
So, (x + 2) / 4 = 11
And x + 2 = 44
Therefore x = 42
In Limerick #2, let w = weight of the ball.
Then 2w + w2 - 8 = 0
So, w2 + 2w - 8 = 0
And (w - 2) ( w + 4) = 0
Therefore w = 2, -4
Correctly solved by:
| 1. James Alarie | Flint, Michigan |
| 2. Chad Fore | Gate City, Virginia |
| 3. Holden Bindl |
Mountain View High School, Mountain View, Wyoming |