standard_description: Solve multi-step real-life and mathematical problems posed with positive and negative rational numbers in any form (whole numbers, fractions, and decimals), using tools strategically. Apply properties of operations to calculate with numbers in any form; convert between forms as appropriate; and assess the reasonableness of answers using mental computation and estimation strategies. For example: If a woman making $25 an hour gets a 10% raise, she will make an additional 1/10 of her salary an hour, or $2.50, for a new salary of $27.50. If you want to place a towel bar 9 3/4 inches long in the center of a door that is 27 1/2 inches wide, you will need to place the bar about 9 inches from each edge; this estimate can be used as a check on the exact computation.
problem_activity: Problem 1
At a market, long-grain rice can be purchased in any weight, measured in pounds. The cost and weight are proportional, for example, 5 pounds of rice costs $4.
a.   Write an equation to represent the cost,
$$y$$
, to purchase
$$x$$
pounds of long-grain rice.
b.   Determine the cost of 1, 10, and 15 pounds of rice.
c.   Graph the relationship between cost and weight of rice in the coordinate plane.
d.   What is the slope of the graph? What does it mean as a unit rate?
Problem 2
Nia and Trey both had a sore throat so their mom told them to gargle with warm salt water.
Nia mixed 1 teaspoon salt with 3 cups water.
Trey mixed
$${1\over 2}$$
teaspoon salt with 1
$${{1\over2}}$$
cups of water.
Nia tasted Trey’s salt water. She said,
“I added more salt so I expected that mine would be more salty, but they taste the same.”
a.   Explain why the salt water mixtures taste the same.
b.   Find an equation that relates
$$s$$
, the number of teaspoons of salt, with
$$w$$
, the number of cups of water, for both of these mixtures.
c.   Draw the graph of your equation from part (b).
d.   Your graph in part (c) should be a line. Interpret the slope as a unit rate.


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