Algebra I
View Activity ArchivesActivity:
Boats in Motion
Posted on Oct 16, 2008
Topic: Linear Equations & Functions
In this activity, students will make observations about the motion of a boat going up and down the river. They will be instructed to solve the system of equations algebraically and graphically. Minimized slider bars allow students to explore the slope of a distance-time graph. Additional problems are provided for further practice.
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Activity Key Steps:
In the first problem of this activity, students will make observations about the motion of two boats, one traveling downstream and the other traveling upstream. They will write and solve equations algebraically and graphically to find the speed of the boat in still water and the distance traveled.
In second part of the activity, students will explore the distance-time graph by changing the slope (or rate) of the equations. They will use the graph and algebraically solve to find the rate of the train and the rate of the person walking on the train.