Problem 323 - Prealgebra

Question

In the following exercises, solve. Party supplies Tim brought 9 six-packs of soda to a club party. How many cans of soda did Tim bring?

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

Tim brought 54 cans of soda.

Step 1: Understand the Problem

Tim brought 9 six-packs of soda. A six-pack means each pack contains 6 cans of soda. The task is to find the total number of soda cans Tim brought.

Step 2: Set Up the Equation

To find the total number of cans, multiply the number of six-packs by the number of cans in each pack: 9 six-packs * 6 cans per pack.

Step 3: Perform the Multiplication

Calculate the total number of cans by multiplying 9 by 6: \[ 9 \times 6 = 54 \]

Key Concepts

Word Problems

Word problems are common in math and help us apply mathematical concepts to real-life situations. They can seem tricky at first, but with practice, you'll get the hang of them. In the given exercise, Tim's party supplies problem is a word problem.
The key to solving word problems is to carefully read the problem and identify the important information. Here’s what to look for:

• Identify the quantities involved.
• Understand what the problem is asking for.
• Translate the words into a mathematical equation.

In Tim's problem, we need to identify the number of six-packs and how many cans each six-pack contains.

Multiplication

Multiplication is a basic mathematical operation that is essential for solving problems like Tim's party supplies. It involves combining equal groups of items to find a total amount.
In Tim's case, we have 9 six-packs, and each six-pack contains 6 cans. To find the total number of cans, we multiply these two numbers.
Multiplication can be visualized through repeated addition. For example, multiplying 9 by 6 means adding 6 nine times: \[ 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 = 54 \]
This makes multiplication a quick and efficient way to find the total number of items in equal groups.

Problem-Solving Steps

Following clear problem-solving steps can make solving word problems much easier. For Tim's problem, here’s a breakdown of the steps we took:
Step 1: Understand the Problem
We identified that Tim brought 9 six-packs of soda and each pack has 6 cans. Our goal is to find the total number of cans.

Step 2: Set Up the Equation
We translated the word problem into a mathematical equation: \( 9 \times 6 \). This represents the total number of cans Tim brought.

Step 3: Perform the Multiplication
We carried out the multiplication: \( 9 \times 6 = 54 \). Thus, Tim brought 54 cans of soda.
By breaking down the problem into these manageable steps, we can tackle even complex word problems with confidence.