[LMB] AKICOTL: very OT - interpreting an algebra question

[Paula Lieberman]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Becca" <becca_price at yahoo.com>


> The question is:
>
> "Polls indicate that 66% of all adults have Internet access.

Let A - the number of adults.

66% of adults, therefore, equals .66 A, which equal I, the number of adults 
on the Internet.

> A.bout 25% more online adults access the Internet from home than
> from work. If 15% go online from other locations (not work or

Let W = the number of adults who access the Interfrom from work.

That "more" there is nasty, and ambiguous... does it include or not include 
people who access the Internet from both work and home, or only from home?

25% more = 1.25 W --that is, the value W  -plus- 25%

15% of what??  adults who are on the Internet?!  This is NOT a word formed 
pedagogical problem!

But... assuming that people go on line from work exclusive-or from home 
exclusive-or from elsewere:

I (1-.15)  = W + 1.25 W

.85 I = 2.25 W

I = .66 (total adults)
W =  .66 (.85/2.25) (total adults)
1.25 W =  [multiply above by 1.25)

> home), what is the percent of online adults accessing the
> internet from home? What is the percent of online adults
> accessing the Internet from work?"
>
> The answer given in the back of the book is 38% from home and
> 13% from work.

Huh?  Apparently they made an unvoiced assumption that people who accessed 
the 'net from work ALSO accessed it at home... wording = FCC-disapproved 
language for the problem!

> can someone explain to me how they got that answer? I'm totally
> baffled. I got all the rest of them right, but this one is
> escaping me.