Forum Home
Press F1
 
Thread ID: 51116 2004-11-12 02:56:00 OT-NZCA MATH Dally (6292) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
290842 2004-11-12 07:36:00 The number of sports played at Olympic games 40 years ago = 19! :D

Stuff the math formulas - google tells all (www.cbc.ca) :p
Jen C (20)
290843 2004-11-12 07:37:00 snap

:p
andrew93 (249)
290844 2004-11-12 07:38:00 Andrew93> SNAP! :^O Jen C (20)
290845 2004-11-12 07:39:00 they are not going to base it on a real thing - wat if you knew that all you will have to do is make the equation ApeNz (4220)
290846 2004-11-12 07:40:00 Almost word for word to - plus the timing of the snap
:^O
andrew93 (249)
290847 2004-11-12 07:45:00 The question you posted is actually quite clear and easy to understand. I have seen others which are very bad however. somebody (208)
290848 2004-11-12 07:51:00 I don't what to appear a smart alec but here is the approach my old math teacher advocated
Let x = number of sports 40 years ago
Then average number of competitors per sport = 5x
Average number of competitors per sport in 2004 = 17.5x
No of sports in 2004 = (x + 10)
No of competitors in 2004... 17.5x(x + 10) = 10500
Simplify ...
x.x + 10x - 600 = 0
x = +20 or -30
Reject -30 as applicable perhaps only in Discworld
Number of sports in 1964 = 20
Close to the actual it seems
Dally (6292)
290849 2004-11-12 08:14:00 Ave Comp. per sport 1964 = X
Ave Comp per sport 2004 = Y
Number of sports 1964 = A
Number of sports 2004 = B

BY = 10500
B x (3.5X) = 10500
B x 3.5(5A) = 10500
A+10 x 3.5(5A) = 10500
(A+10) x 17.5A = 10500
17.5A^2 + 175A = 10500
A^2 + 10A = 600
A^2 + 10A -600 = 0
Factorise
(A+30)(A-20) = 0
solve = -30 or 20
since cannot be -ve, then must be +20

So answer = 20. And I think this works (I substituted it back in to check)
somebody (208)
290850 2004-11-12 08:15:00 aargh.. too slow. somebody (208)
290851 2004-11-12 08:19:00 > I don't what to appear a smart alec

you don't have to worry about that
:D (you said it)

> but here is the
> approach my old math teacher advocated
> Let x = number of sports 40 years ago
> Then average number of competitors per sport = 5x
> Average number of competitors per sport in 2004 =
> 17.5x
> No of sports in 2004 = (x + 10)

we all agree up to this point

> No of competitors in 2004... 17.5x(x + 10) = 10500

the number of competitors is not the average number of competitors for 2004 multiplied by the number of sports in 1964 multiplied by the number of sports in 1964 less 10.

You have got yourself confused there between "x" the variable and "x" being the multiplier - it should be :

2004 competitors = 17.5 times ("x" + 10) = 10500

> Simplify ...
> x.x + 10x - 600 = 0

17.5x times (x + 10) actually simplifies to 17.5 times x squared plus 27.5x

> x = +20 or -30
> Reject -30 as applicable perhaps only in Discworld

And so the error now compounds.
Why didn't you use the factors -20 and +30? They yield the same product....

> Number of sports in 1964 = 20

We all know it's 19 but hey....what's one sport?

> Close to the actual it seems

So to summarise your maths :
x = 20
Sports04 = 600
Sports04 = x + 10
so 600 = 20 + 10????

You guys are learning some really weird maths.....

x=590, see my previous post

case closed!
andrew93 (249)
1 2 3 4 5