Read the word problem. Look at the student's work and solution.

Henry and Rick have 265.3 downloaded minutes of music. If Henry has 112 minutes, how many minutes belong to Rick?

Part A: Identify the error in the student's work and describe it.

1 answer

To identify the error in the student's work, we can follow these steps:

  1. Restate the problem: The total downloaded minutes of music is 265.3, and Henry has 112 minutes. We need to find out how many minutes belong to Rick.

  2. Set up the equation: The total minutes (265.3) should equal the sum of Henry's minutes (112) and Rick's minutes (R). The equation can be expressed as:

    \[ 112 + R = 265.3 \]

  3. Solve for Rick’s minutes (R):

    • Subtract Henry's minutes from the total: \[ R = 265.3 - 112 \]
    • Performing the calculation: \[ R = 153.3 \]

Now, look for any errors in the student's work:

  • Possible Mistake: If the student incorrectly calculated the subtraction (for example, misplacing the decimal or failing to account for the entirety of Henry's minutes), this would lead to an incorrect answer.
  • Verification: We can check the student's work by verifying the subtraction. The correct answer is indeed 153.3 minutes for Rick.

If the student arrived at another number or made an arithmetic error in the subtraction, that would indicate the specific error in their solution.

In summary, the error could stem from:

  • Miscalculating the subtraction,
  • Not clearly articulating the steps involved,
  • Or misunderstanding the setup of the equation.

By closely examining the student’s work, we can point out exactly where this miscalculation occurred.