Student Survive 2 Thrive: Katrena's Practical Math Practice

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Katrena's Practical Math Practice – Grocery Shopping #1

Grocery shopping lends itself to a variety of math skills, especially when comparing prices. Years ago, math at the grocery store seemed much easier because the larger quantities and store brands were almost invariably the best buy. Not today! Many prices are driven by supply and demand, which means that the best deal may or may not be found in those larger packages or store branded products. Sales prices at one store might even be more expensive than the regular prices at another store.

These practical math problems feature fifteen examples in which the reader looks at two prices and determines which one is the better buy. One can determine the better buy in a variety of ways. For example, one might determine the unit price for each by dividing the price by number of units for each and then comparing to see which is less expensive. Another strategy might include the use of algebra by determining which price would be equal to the other. One could write a fraction with the unit number over the price on one side with that being equal to the unit number over X on the other side of the equation. Cross multiply to solve for X to determine equivocal prices and then compare whether the given price is less than or more than the first price.

I hope you find this math practice to be helpful in seeing how math can be used in everyday life. Thanks so much for visiting my Student Survive 2 Thrive blog!

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