Key Concepts

Key Concepts

• Distance, Rate, and Time
  • D = rt where D = distance, r = rate, t = time
• Problem-Solving Strategy—Distance, Rate, and Time Applications
  1. Read the problem. Make sure all the words and ideas are understood.
     Draw a diagram to illustrate what it happening.
     Create a table to organize the information: Label the columns rate, time, distance. List the two scenarios. Write in the information you know.
  2. Identify what we are looking for.
  3. Name what we are looking for. Choose a variable to represent that quantity.
     Complete the chart.
     Use variable expressions to represent that quantity in each row.
     Multiply the rate times the time to get the distance.
  4. Translate into an equation.
     Restate the problem in one sentence with all the important information.
     Then, translate the sentence into an equation.
  5. Solve the equation using good algebra techniques.
  6. Check the answer in the problem and make sure it makes sense.
  7. Answer the question with a complete sentence.