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    Tutor MathsGuru: Ask me for your burning Maths questions!

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Primary Schools - Academic Support
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    • M Offline
      MOE Hater
      last edited by

      Dharma:
      liketoeat:

      Hi, please help me solve this question. Thank you.


      Candle A and candle B were placed on a table. Candle A was 1.5 cm longer than candle B. Candle A and candle B were lighted at 0630 h and 0800 h respectively. They burnt down to the same length at 1030 h. At 1200 h, candle B was burnt out while A only burnt out at 1230 h. Given that the rate of burning of each candle was constant throughout, find the original length of each candle. (Ans: candle A 13.5 cm; candle B 12 cm)

      Time ratio => A : B = 4 : 3
      Burning rate ratio => A : B = 3 : 4

      Time taken to burn completely
      A : 6 hrs (0630hrs to 1230hrs)
      B : 4 hrs (0800hrs to 1200hrs)

      Length (A ) = 3u x 6 = 18u
      Length (B) = 4u x 4 = 16u

      18u – 16u = 2u = 1.5cm
      Original Length (A) = 18u = 9 x 1.5cm = 13.5cm
      Original Length (B) = 16u = 8 x 1.5cm = 12.0cm

      My teacher taught us this as well but i could not remeber it just now. :idea: I did manage to solve the question though, but using algebra. :roll: Thanks for sharing the heuristic method. It does save a lot of headache πŸ˜„

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      • L Offline
        liketoeat
        last edited by

        Dharma:
        liketoeat:

        Hi, please help me solve this question. Thank you.


        Candle A and candle B were placed on a table. Candle A was 1.5 cm longer than candle B. Candle A and candle B were lighted at 0630 h and 0800 h respectively. They burnt down to the same length at 1030 h. At 1200 h, candle B was burnt out while A only burnt out at 1230 h. Given that the rate of burning of each candle was constant throughout, find the original length of each candle. (Ans: candle A 13.5 cm; candle B 12 cm)

        Time ratio => A : B = 4 : 3
        Burning rate ratio => A : B = 3 : 4

        Time taken to burn completely
        A : 6 hrs (0630hrs to 1230hrs)
        B : 4 hrs (0800hrs to 1200hrs)

        Length (A ) = 3u x 6 = 18u
        Length (B) = 4u x 4 = 16u

        18u – 16u = 2u = 1.5cm
        Original Length (A) = 18u = 9 x 1.5cm = 13.5cm
        Original Length (B) = 16u = 8 x 1.5cm = 12.0cm

        Thank you, Dharma.

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • M Offline
          Mathematical Guru
          last edited by

          To keep herself fit, Wiyathi climbs up a flight of 30 steps every day. If she runs uo 5 steps and walks up 25 steps, she will take 99 seconds. If she runs up 15 steps and walks up 15 steps, she will take 18 seconds less. How long will she take to run uo all the 30 steps if she maintains the same speed?


          How am I to solve this? :?

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          • CoffeeCatC Offline
            CoffeeCat
            last edited by

            Mathematical Guru:
            To keep herself fit, Wiyathi climbs up a flight of 30 steps every day. If she runs uo 5 steps and walks up 25 steps, she will take 99 seconds. If she runs up 15 steps and walks up 15 steps, she will take 18 seconds less. How long will she take to run uo all the 30 steps if she maintains the same speed?


            How am I to solve this? :?
            compare
            run 5 steps, walk 25 steps --> 99 secs
            run 15 steps walk 15 steps --> 99-18 secs
            by running 10 more steps instead of walking she will save 18 secs
            by running 5 more steps instead of walking she will save 9 secs
            so if she run 15 more steps (30 steps in all) and walk 15 steps less (0 steps walked) she will save 9*3=27 secs.
            Therefore time taken --> 99-18-27=54 secs

            By the way i notice how some tougher psle maths questions in recent years have actually appeared in hci's smops years ago.

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            • V Offline
              Vanilla Cake
              last edited by

              Mathematical Guru:
              To keep herself fit, Wiyathi climbs up a flight of 30 steps every day. If she runs uo 5 steps and walks up 25 steps, she will take 99 seconds. If she runs up 15 steps and walks up 15 steps, she will take 18 seconds less. How long will she take to run uo all the 30 steps if she maintains the same speed?

              Hi Mathematical Guru,
              Is this speed question from school's homework? To me, it doesn't seem to be.Pls advise the source of this speed question.

              5 steps (run) and 25 steps (walk) = 99 seconds
              5+10=15 steps (run) and 25-10=15 steps (walk) = 81 seconds (99s-18s)
              Increase 1 step (run) and decrease 1 step (walk)=18Γ·10=1.8s ie decrease by 1.8s
              Note : 18 seconds is from the difference between 99 seconds and 81 seconds.
              Increase 15 steps (run) and decrease 15 steps (walk)=Decrease by 15x1.8s=27s
              15+15=30 steps (run) and 15-15=0 steps (walk) = 81s-27s=54s

              Time taken for Wiyathi to run up all the 30 steps if she maintains the same speed = 54 seconds.

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • T Offline
                Tang
                last edited by

                CoffeeCat:
                Mathematical Guru:

                To keep herself fit, Wiyathi climbs up a flight of 30 steps every day. If she runs uo 5 steps and walks up 25 steps, she will take 99 seconds. If she runs up 15 steps and walks up 15 steps, she will take 18 seconds less. How long will she take to run uo all the 30 steps if she maintains the same speed?


                How am I to solve this? :?

                compare
                run 5 steps, walk 25 steps --> 99 secs
                run 15 steps walk 15 steps --> 99-18 secs
                by running 5 more steps instead of walking she will save 18 secs
                so if she run 15 more steps (30 steps in all) and walk 15 steps less (0 steps walked) she will save 18*3=54 secs.
                Therefore time taken --> 99-18-54=28 secs

                By the way i notice how some tougher psle maths questions in recent years have actually appeared in hci's smops years ago.


                Hello,

                You may like to check the underlined.


                5 R + 25 W --> 99 s

                15 R + 15 W --> 99 - 18 = 81 s
                1 R + 1 W --> 81/15 = 5.4 s

                25 R + 25 W --> 5.4 x 25 = 135 s

                20 R --> 135 - 99 = 36 s

                30 R --> 30/20 x 36 = 54 s

                She will take 54 s to run up all the 30 steps.

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                • CoffeeCatC Offline
                  CoffeeCat
                  last edited by

                  Lol yea what a mistake I had made. I have edited it. Thx for pointing out!

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • V Offline
                    Vanilla Cake
                    last edited by

                    Dharma:
                    liketoeat:

                    Hi, please help me solve this question. Thank you.


                    Candle A and candle B were placed on a table. Candle A was 1.5 cm longer than candle B. Candle A and candle B were lighted at 0630 h and 0800 h respectively. They burnt down to the same length at 1030 h. At 1200 h, candle B was burnt out while A only burnt out at 1230 h. Given that the rate of burning of each candle was constant throughout, find the original length of each candle. (Ans: candle A 13.5 cm; candle B 12 cm)

                    Time ratio => A : B = 4 : 3
                    Burning rate ratio => A : B = 3 : 4

                    Time taken to burn completely
                    A : 6 hrs (0630hrs to 1230hrs)
                    B : 4 hrs (0800hrs to 1200hrs)

                    Length (A ) = 3u x 6 = 18u
                    Length (B) = 4u x 4 = 16u

                    18u – 16u = 2u = 1.5cm
                    Original Length (A) = 18u = 9 x 1.5cm = 13.5cm
                    Original Length (B) = 16u = 8 x 1.5cm = 12.0cm

                    Hi liketoeat,
                    Could you pls advise the source of this question as this question requires some thinking? Is this question from school's homework?

                    Just to share 2 different alternatives for readers.One not using inverse ratio and one using model drawings (posted by the forever helpful Uncle Observer).Another method is algebra which I will not post here.

                    Alternative method 1
                    Same height to burn out completely ie equal burnt length
                    Candle A from 1000 h to 1230 h took 2 hours
                    Candle B from 1030 h to 1200 h took 1.5 hours

                    Find lowest common multiple of 1.5 and 2
                    Multiples of 2 = 2,4,6,8,10.......
                    Multiples of 1.5 = 1.5,3,4.5, 6, 7.5.......

                    So, LCM of 1.5 and 2 is 6.

                    Burning rates
                    Candle A = 6u/2 = 3u/hour
                    Candle B = 6u/1.5 = 4u/hour

                    From start to burn out completely
                    Candle A: 0630 h to 1230 h ie 6 h -> 6x3u=18u
                    Candle B: 0800 h to 1200 h ie 4 h -> 4x4u=16u

                    Candle A was 1.5 cm longer than candle B (Given),
                    18u-16u=1.5
                    2u=1.5
                    u = 0.75

                    Original length of candle A = 18u = 18x0.75 = 13.5 cm
                    Original length of candle B = 16u = 16x0.75 = 12 cm

                    Alternative method 2
                    By http://psle2010a.blogspot.com/2010/07/challenging-p6.html as posted by the kind and helpful Uncle Observer.

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • M Offline
                      mathsguru
                      last edited by

                      Dear all...


                      Just to let you all know tt I'm back... :peekaboo:

                      :imsorry: My sincere apologies for not being active for the past month. I've taken a 2-week break during the June hols and when I came back, I was busy conducting lessons. :faint:

                      Finally can catch a breather now since school re-opened! Many thanks to all kind souls who have been helping out here...so many pages to catch up for me! πŸ˜“

                      Hmm...guess I will start solving questions posted from now on instead of trying to catch up with the backlog. Hehe...Hope to seek your understanding!! :please:

                      Cheers,
                      MathsGuru

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • R Offline
                        ruyu
                        last edited by

                        mathsguru:
                        Dear all...


                        Just to let you all know tt I'm back... :peekaboo:

                        :imsorry: My sincere apologies for not being active for the past month. I've taken a 2-week break during the June hols and when I came back, I was busy conducting lessons. :faint:

                        Finally can catch a breather now since school re-opened! Many thanks to all kind souls who have been helping out here...so many pages to catch up for me! πŸ˜“

                        Hmm...guess I will start solving questions posted from now on instead of trying to catch up with the backlog. Hehe...Hope to seek your understanding!! :please:

                        Cheers,
                        MathsGuru

                        Yeah Mathsguru is back!

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0

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