ART001

1. Find the average rate of change of income for each group from 1960 to 1990.

2. Find the average rate of change of income for each group from 1990 to 2000.

3. Describe three trends you observe about the data.

4. Name a factor that might be a cause for each trend.

ART002

From "The Jock vs. the Clock:

"Muscle mass peaks at age 25, and then decreases by about 4 percent per decade until the age of 50, when it drops by about 10 percent every 10 years."

1. Starting with 100% muscle mass at age 25, graph the percent of muscle mass per decade until age 90.

2. Write a piecewise function that describes muscle mass as a function of time. For each piece of the function, indicate the domain and range.

ART003

From "Cut the Lights":

"Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine asked the parents of 479 children, 2 to 16, if their kids slept with lights on before the age of 2. Visions tests showed that 34 percent of the night-light kids became nearsighted, as did 55 percent of those who slept with regular lights. But just 10 percent of those who slept in the dark were myopic [nearsighted].

1. How many of the kids who slept with night lights became nearsighted?

2. How many who slept with regular lights became nearsighted?

3. How many who slept in the dark became nearsighted?

ART004

From "Latino America"

The Latino population has grown 38 percent since 1990 – to 31 million—while the overall population has grown just 9 percent…About 37% of U.S. Hispanics live in Los Angeles, New York City, and Miami.

1. What was the Latino population in 1990?

2. If there are 167 million people in the U.S. in 1999, what was the U.S. population in 1990?

3. How many U.S. Hispanics live in Los Angeles, New York City, and Miami?

ART005

From "Beware the Unruly Sun":

"In the United States, the incidence of melanoma is rising faster than almost any other cancer, striking Americans at twice the rate today as it did two decades ago. This year alone more than 44000 people are expected to be diagnosed, and 7300 could die."

1. What percent of people who have melanoma skin cancer will probably die?

2. How many persons were diagnosed with skin cancer 20 years ago?

ART006

From "Mine Closing Raises Copper Price":

"This week’s economic disaster for 2200 Southern Arizona families was good news yesterday for the copper industry as a whole. One day after BHP announced the closure of its San Manuel mine an smelter, stock prices of most major copper companies – except BHP’s—rose sharply. Phoenix-based Phelps Dodge Corp. led the pack, up 3 5/16 to 61 11/16…Global copper prices also rose by nearly 3 cent a pound to 69 cents...The copper industry was running a worldwide 300,000 ton surplus in the first half of this year.

1. What was the Phelps Dodge stock price before it rose?

2. How many pounds is the worldwide surplus of copper?

3. How much money would the surplus be worth?

ART007

"College Graduates are forsaking education for more profitable professions, a major teachers union reports. Beginning teachers made on average $25,735 in 1997-98, compared with new college graduates earning $42862 in engineering and $40,920 in computer science, according to the survey being released today by the American Federation of Teachers The national average for all teacher in the 1997-98 school year was $39,347…The salary report comes as the education Department estimates schools will need to hire 2.2 million teachers over the next decade. "

1. How much will it cost to hire the 2.2 million teachers at the beginning rate of pay?

2. How much will it cost to hire the 2.2 million teachers at the average rate of pay?

ART008

From " 21.3% growth in Phoenix in ‘90’s tops among big cities":

Phoenix was America’s fastest growing big city during the 1990s. The city grew 21.3 percent, or by 210,049 people, between 1990 and 1998.

Tucson grew from 415,444 in April 1990 to an estimated 460,466 last July [1998].

1. How many people were there in Phoenix in 1990?

2. What was the percent growth rate for Tucson?

3. Compare Tucson’s growth rate with Phoenix. Express your results in numbers.

 ART009

From "No Money, No Meds":

"Ninety percent of the world’s 33 million HIV/AIDS cases are in Africa, Latin America and Asia. The vast majority of infected people in those areas can’t afford the cocktails of miracle drugs that can make AIDS a chronic disease rather than a death sentence.

In the United States, the combination can cost $750 a month, a fortune in a country like South Africa, where 8 percent of the country’s 38 million people are infected with AIDS –and the annual per capita income is $6000."

1. How many AIDS cases are in Africa, Latin America, and Asia?

2. AT $750 per month, how much will a cocktail of miracle drugs cost per year?

3. How many people in South Africa are infected with AIDS?

4. If the annual per capita income of South Africans is $6000, how much money will be needed to provide a cocktail of miracle drugs for all persons in South Africa infected with AIDS?

5. Write your answer in dollars in scientific notation.

 ART010

Box Office returns for Star Wars films:

*To Date

1. Graph the data and find the line of best fit for ticket sales as a function of the sequel number of the Star Wars Film.

2. Write an equation for the line of best fit.

3. Explain what the slope of the line means in terms of the variables.

2. If the trend continues, how much money will a 5^th sequel to Star Wars be expected to make?

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Please send comments and suggestions to Shay Cardell

Copyright © 1999 [Shay Cardell]. All rights reserved.
Revised: July 31, 1999 .