False Position Word Problem
I recently painted two twenty-unit battalions of Warhammer 40k miniatures (toy soldiers for even bigger nerds) along with one four-unit squadron. This cost $44 in materials (paints, primer, etc.). If I were to paint one more twenty-unit battalion, how much would this cost me (assuming that prices are the same)? If I were to solve this using the method of false position, I would begin by setting up an equation based on what I know: namely, that 2 sets of twenty and one fifth of a set of twenty cost $44. 2x+x/5=44 In order to deal nicely with the fraction, I will assume that the cost of a set of twenty (x) is five: 2(5)+5/5=44 10+1=44 11=44 Because I am off by a factor of four, I multiply my initial guess by four to get $20. A quick test demonstrates that this is correct: 2(20)+20/5=44 40+4=44 44=44. Additionally, as a short reflection, I find this method intriguing. It's something I had never encountered before, despite doing a bit of research into historical math myself for other ...