THE BOUNCING BALL

Jennifer Gamez

TEXAS ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND

SKILLS.

3.4A Number, operation, and quantitative reasoning.

The student recognizes and solves problems in multiplication and division situations.

The student is expected to learn and apply multiplication facts through 12 by 12

using concrete models and objects.

3.5B Algebraic Reasoning.

The student applies mathematical process standards to analyze and create patterns

and relationships.

The student is expected to represent and solve one- and two-step

multiplication and division problems within 100 using arrays, strip diagrams,

and equations.

Find the total distance traveled!

"A rubber ball rebounds to half the height it drops. If the ball is dropped from
a rooftop 18 m above the ground, what is the total distance traveled by the
time it hits the ground the third time?

a. 31.5 m

b. 40.5 m

c. 45 m

d. 63 m

STEP #1
Gathering information!

"A rubber ball rebounds to half the height it drops. If the ball is dropped from a rooftop 18 m
above the ground, what is the total distance traveled by the time it hits the ground the third time?

The first thing we will do in order to solve a word problem is pull information from the word
problem and make it into a mathematical equation.

We know that the ball is dropped from 18m above the ground

Ball Height starts at- (H)=18 m

Fall 1 = 18 m

The ball rebounds or bounces to half of the starting height. (H=18/.5 or 18 divided by 1/2)

The ball will hit the ground 3 times.

We are looking for the Total distance the ball has traveled after it hits the ground the third time.

Step #2! Creating a

math problem from a word problem.

Since the starting height is 18m and we know it bounced half way back up on
the first bounce.

We will divide 18 by 1/2 = 9 m (9x2=18) (18 /2=9)

H=18m / 1/2 = 9 m

Bounce 1=9m

Creating patterns!

So far we know that the ball bounced half way up to its starting point of 18 m
which we calculated to be 9 m. 1/2 of 18 =9 or 18 divided by 1/2 = 9

Therefore we can say that the second time the ball bounced it is likely that
it bounced half way from its new starting point of 9m.

So we solve the following equation for the second bounce.

9m divided by 1/2 is equal to 4.5 m.

Bounce 2=4.5m

The pattern created is 18/ 1/2 =9 / 1/2 = 4.5 ..........

What comes up must come down.

Knowing that the ball is bouncing 2 times we can also say the ball is falling 2
times.

The ball bounced 9 m the first time it hit the ground it fell 9 m in order to hit
the ground again the second time. This will be written as (9 m x 2).

Fall 2= 9 m

Therefore we can say the ball bounced up to 4.5 m when it hit the ground the
second time and fell 4.5 m to hit the ground the third time. (4.5 m x 2)

Fall 3 = 4.5 m

Gathering data
The ball fell 18 m = Fall 1 = 18m
Bounce 1 = The ball bounced Half way back up = 18 m

1/2 = 9= Bounce 1 = 9 m

The ball Falls back to the ground =Fall 2 = 9 m

The ball Bounces a 2nd time = Bounce 2= 9m

1/2 = 4.5 m= Bounce =4.5 m

The ball falls the last time before hitting the ground the 3rd an final time = Fall 3 = 4.5 m
The word problems asks us how many M has the ball traveled when it Hits the ground the 3rd time.
Therefore we know that after Fall 3 we do not need to continue to calculate the distance the ball has
traveled.
So we will add up all of the Falls and Bounces to calculate the total distance the ball has traveled.
Total falls =3
F1=18 F2=9 F3=4.5

Total Bounces =2
B1= 9 , B2=4.5

We will add our total falls and bounces to calculate the total distance the ball has traveled overall.
18 m +9m+4.5m +9m +4.5m= 45 m or 18 m + 9m^2 + 4.5m^2=45 m

"A rubber ball rebounds to half the height it drops. If the ball is dropped from a rooftop 18 m above
the ground, what is the total distance traveled by the time it hits the ground the third time?

= 45 m

Solving the problem using models.

Add all of the numbers on the right and we get the total distance traveled by
the ball.