Comprehending Business Problems

Wrap-up

When business people face a problem, they may just need a little pencil and paper to work it out. On the job or at home, there are many problems a little math can solve.

How many pounds of chicken do you need to serve six people? How much will you earn if you work overtime for three weeks at time and a half? How many gallons of gas will you need to drive 150 miles in a car that gets 30 miles to the gallon?

The next time you have a problem, see if you can find the solution in numbers.

In this lesson you:  

• Read common business problems that involve math and analyzed what information you needed to solve them
• Figured out what information is needed to solve other business-related problems
• Changed word problems into numerical equations

On your own:

• Practice turning word problems into number equations in your daily life, such as when you’re deciding how much food to buy at the grocery store or what your electric bill might be.
• Make a habit of thinking about math problems in terms of the answers they ask for. For example, the next time you see something on sale, think how many dollars you save. Or the next time you buy a can of paint, think about how many square feet of wall it will cover.
• Copy hard-to-solve word problems from practice tests and workbooks. Put your copies away for a week. Then take them out and see if you remember which information is important for solving the problems.