• Simplify and calculate an algebraic equation
• Find the value of a variable that satisfies an equation
• Determine whether an equation can be solved with a single answer, cannot be solved at all, or has an infinite number of possible solutions

The Pepper Equation: Cultivating Math Skills in the Garden

Meet Ken, a high school math teacher and gardening enthusiast. He has a newfound love for pepper plants and decided to use his math skills to help him in his gardening adventure. The objective of this activity is to apply our knowledge of algebraic expressions, variables, and solving equations to practical situations.

 

Ken’s journey begins with a small pepper plant that he wants to nurture and grow.

Ken noticed that his new plant is [latex]10[/latex] inches tall. From his research, he found that pepper plants generally grow [latex]\frac{1}{4}[/latex] inch per day for the first [latex]4[/latex] weeks. He’s uncertain how many days he can keep this plant alive, so he uses the variable ‘[latex]d[/latex]‘ to represent the unknown number of days.

Using the expression found above, how tall will Ken’s pepper plant be after [latex]14[/latex] days, or when [latex]d = 14[/latex]?