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Hi! I'm Studyfin, your tutor. Today, we will learn a step-by-step model to solve any tough problem with confidence!
When you face a complex problem, do not just guess. Using a structured problem-solving model helps you analyze the facts, make a smart plan, and check your work.
First, you must analyze the given information and formulate a plan. This means separating what you know from what you need to find, and then picking a strategy to solve it.
Next, you determine the solution and justify your steps. Finally, you evaluate the process to make sure your final answer is reasonable and makes complete sense.
A school club is selling t-shirts. The printing shop charges a flat setup fee of $50 plus $10 per shirt. The club has a budget of $250. How many shirts can they buy? Walk through the complete problem-solving model.
- 1. Analyze: The given information is a flat fee of $50, a cost of $10 per shirt, and a total budget of $250. We need to find the maximum number of shirts.
- 2. Plan: Formulate a strategy. We can write an equation where 's' is the number of shirts: 10s + 50 = 250.
- 3. Solve: Subtract 50 from both sides to get 10s = 200. Divide by 10 to determine the solution: s = 20 shirts.
- 4. Justify: Explain the math. The setup fee is $50, and 20 shirts cost $200 (20 times 10). Together, $50 plus $200 equals exactly $250.
- 5. Evaluate: Check the reasonableness. If they bought 21 shirts, it would cost $260, which is over budget. Thus, 20 is the correct, reasonable limit.
