Divide number into 3 parts with each part being 1.6 times greater than the last

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around how to divide the number 90 into three parts, where each part is 1.6 times greater than the previous one. The scope includes mathematical reasoning and problem-solving approaches.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Debate/contested, Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests formulating the problem as an equation: x + 1.6x + 1.6²x = 90, and then factoring out "x" to simplify.
  • Another participant expresses concern about providing too much help, emphasizing the importance of encouraging understanding rather than just giving answers.
  • A later reply acknowledges the difficulty in balancing guidance and providing too much information, noting that the question seems more like a curiosity than a homework problem.
  • There is a discussion about the appropriateness of the level of assistance given, with differing views on how much should be revealed to the original poster (OP).

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing opinions on how to approach helping the OP, with some advocating for more guidance and others preferring to encourage independent problem-solving. No consensus is reached on the best method of assistance.

Contextual Notes

There is uncertainty regarding the classification of the problem as a curiosity versus a homework question, which may influence how participants choose to respond.

CF.Gauss
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A friend posed this just for fun but now its really annoying me.

how do you divide 90 into three parts so that each part is 1.6 times greater than the last.
i.e: the second value should be 1.6 times greater than the first and the third value should be 1.6 times greater than the second?

Im confusing myself with this.
Thanks
 
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Hi CF.Gauss. Just write it as [itex]x + 1.6 x + 1.6^2 x = 90[/itex] and then factorize out the "x" and simplify.
 
uart said:
Hi CF.Gauss. Just write it as [itex]x + 1.6 x + 1.6^2 x = 90[/itex] and then factorize out the "x" and simplify.

Hm ... I thought the goal here was to help people think and understand things, not spoon-feed them answers. Have I got that wrong?
 
phinds said:
Hm ... I thought the goal here was to help people think and understand things, not spoon-feed them answers. Have I got that wrong?

Actually I did not give the answer, I left the factorizing and the following arithmetic for the OP to do. This is in effect the first line of what probably be a three line derivation for the OP.

I agree though that it does give away a large part of the overall solution. Sometimes with such a simple question it's hard to know how to give the OP a "start" without giving away too much. :smile:

BTW. To me this looked more like a curiosity question than homework anyway, though of course I don't know that for sure.
 
Last edited:
uart said:
Actually I did not give the answer, I left the factorizing and the following arithmetic for the OP to do. This is in effect the first line of what probably be a three line derivation for the OP.

I agree though that it does give away a large part of the overall solution. Sometimes with such a simple question it's hard to know how to give the OP a "start" without giving away too much. :smile:

BTW. To me this looked more like a curiosity question than homework anyway, though of course I don't know that for sure.

Yeah, I can't argue w/ that. Still, I was going to try to lead him to an equation rather than give it to him.
 

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