Math word story problems

1. Phoenix is on a mission to prevent an underground drug deal involving the Japanese group The Hand. In order to prevent the deal from taking place, she must first locate Dr. Doom and his orderlies from reaching the meeting point for the exchange of goods. Phoenix has managed to locate a map with a set of coordinates for the direction she must go. However, this map only represents the Y axis she is following. Coordinates showing in the map are -5, -3, -1 0, 1, 3 and 5. Based on the Y axis information provided, if X= 2Y-3, figure out what are the values for the X axis and graph the result to determine which direction Phoenix must got to catch Dr. Doom.
2. News has spread that Joker is now dead. Harlequin has taken this opportunity to gain the ultimate power she longs for, however, before this occurs, she needs to capture servants to execute her rule. The first step in her plan is to capture Wolverine and brainwash him into being his servant as Horseman Death. Wolverine has already learned of this plan, and has taken flight across a map that has been laid out by Phoenix for him, and has been encoded into the equation 5x+3y=12. After Wolverine has taken flight, Harlequin has located Phoenix and has tortured her into confessing Wolverine’s whereabouts. Phoenix provided her with an incorrect path by giving him the equations 9x+15y=6, but she is unsure if these will lead Harlequin to Wolverine or not, Locate the slope of the equations and graph to determine if Harlequin and Wolverine cross paths.
3. Dr Doom has been hired to murder Wolverine. In an attempt to reach him in an unexpected situation, Dr. Doom has captured Wonder Woman and is keeping her hostage in an abandoned warehouse. He plans to use Wonder Woman as bait for Wolverine, to access the warehouse, and then explode it with Dynamite once they are both trapped inside. Dr. Doom needs 1 pound of dynamite for each 10 square feet of the warehouse. If the warehouse is 100 feet wide by 150 feet deep, how much dynamite will Dr. Doom need to use in order to efficiently blow up the warehouse and kill Wolverine and Wonder Woman?
4. Mystique is out on a personal vendetta against Phoenix. She has Phoenix captive and plans to drown her in a pool of mud. The pool is shaped as a prism, with a base of 15 ft and a height of 20 ft. Wolverine has set out to rescue Phoenix, but needs to hurry in order to get there in time to save her. If the pool fills up at the rate of 10 sq. foot per minute, determine how much time Wolverine has to save Phoenix before she drowns.
5. Dr. Doom has planted a bomb in the city of Equatus and plans to set it off and kill everyone in it. After much investigation, Wolverine has located the equation Dr. Doom has used to set the location of the bomb in the city: 9x+3y=12, and has also located one of the values needed to solve the equation: X=(-3). With this information, locate the coordinates for where the bomb is planted in order for Wolverine to save the city from destruction.
6. Harlequin, Joker and Mystique have teamed up in an effort to create chaos over the city of Equatus. They have set timed capsules that contain a deadly virus in 3 different points of the city, A, B and C, forming a right triangle. Point A is located 10 miles from point B. Point B is located 12 miles from point C. Locate the distance from point C to Point A, in order for Phoenix to be able to create a force field to protect the area and contain the virus in hopes to prevent humans contracting the virus and dying.
7. The Joker is out in the city for a day about town, however, what seems as an innocent stroll soon turns to chaos when the Joker and his minions are planning on firing on an open crowd in the town festival. Luckily, Phoenix happens to be at the festival herself, and is in a position where she can create a force field to protect the crowds. If the Plaza where the festival is happening has a length of 7 kilometers and a width of 5 kilometers, determine the area Phoenix must cover with her force field in order to protect the crowds.
8. Harlequin was trying to hold up a bank in the city, but she was unable to pull it off because Wolverine intervened in the situation. She ran off into the alleys of the city, and Wolverine is trying to locate her to have her turned into the police. He is able to locate the coordinates of his current location, (5,-4) and the location Harlequin was heading towards to (-1,8). Locate the slope of the line in order for Wolverine to know in which way he needs to go in order to capture Harlequin.
9. Phoenix is looking down through a factory at a 35˚ angle . If Harlequin is looking down at the same factory from an angle that would be the complementary angle to Phoenix, at what angle would Harlequin be standing at?
10. Wolverine needs to fun across the perimetre of the park in order to catch Dr. Doom before he tries to kidnap a young girl. If each of the park’s sides are 20 ft long, and the park is square, how many feet would Wolverine need to run in order to catch Dr. Doom?

Solution Sheet
1)
Y X
-5 -13
-3 -9
-1 -5
0 -3
1 -1
3 3
5 7

2)
a) 5x+3y=12
3y=(5x+12)/3
b) 9x=15y=6
15y= (9x+6)/15= (3x+2)/5
A and B are negative reciprocals, there for the lines intercept

3)1 pound of dynamite per 10 sq. Ft.
100ft +150ft=250ft
250ft/ 10sq ft.= 25 pounds of dynamite are needed


4)pool=prism
V=b*h
V=15ft * 20ft
V=300 sq. ft
300 sq. ft/ 10 sq. ft= 30 minutes before Phoenix drowns

5)9x=3y=12
X=(-3)
9 (-3) + 3y=12
-27+3y=12
3y=12+27
3y=39
Y=13
Coordinates are (-3,13)

6)C²= a²=+b²
C²=10²+12²
C=√244
C=15.62

7) A=b+h
A=7+5
A=35 ft. is the area Phoenix must cover to protect the crowds.
8) m=(y1-y1)/(x2-x1)=(-4-8)/5-[-1]) = -(12/6)
y-y1=m (x-x1)
y-(-4)=-2 (x-5)
y+4=-2x=10
y=-2x=6
9) A 55˚angle, because complementary angles complete 90˚
10)P=4b
P=4 (10)
P=40 ft.
Wolverine needs to run 40 ft. to catch Dr. Doom.

The Turkana tribe is one of the largest tribes of Kenya, and they are nomadic, pastoralist people. Counting with a population of approximately 300,000 people, they are one of the few tribes that have been able to maintain most of their traditions and culture despite colonization efforts. In their nomadic roaming, they cover a total area of approximately 67,000 square kilometers.

The Turkana tribe is also known for the Tribal fights with their neighbors because of the scarce resources available to all. There have been reports of raids and counter-raids between Turkana people and the surrounding tribes in which they attempt to secure water and livestock in order to subsist during the arid, dry times that are custom for the area they inhabit. This has aggressive attitude has also made them less gullible and susceptible to colonialism, and is visible by their large numbers as a tribe and their adherence to their tribal beliefs and way of life.





Turkana: An overview of Tribal History and Culture

In the modern world we live in, there are very few cultures that remain relatively untouched by the changes and technology we see around us all. The Turkana tribe happens to be one of them. The Turkana tribe is composed of a pastoralist, nomad group from North Western Kenya that still wanders the area between Turkana Lake and the Great Rift Valley on the border of Uganda. (Ambros 1999). It is estimated that about one-third to one half of the Turkana tribe has decided to remain settled (Advameg 2008).

Formerly known as Nilo- Hamites, the Turkana count with a population of 250,000 to 300,000 people, and are considered Kenya’s third largest tribe, and the second largest community of pastoralists, following the Massai tribe. (Finke, J. 2003) Because of the instability of the weather in the area, the people see drought and severe heat as a part of daily life in the tribal ways. This also means that, due to the lack of resources for survival, relations between the Turkana and the neighboring tribes are strained and aggressive (The Kenya Advisor, 2007-2009). An example of how little the Turkana people have been affected by attempts to adapt to colonialism is their adherence to their beliefs. A mere 10% of the Turkana population is estimated to be professing Christian beliefs.

The Turkana people believe in only one god, Akuj. Their god rarely interferes with human life, and is even considered to have turned his back on the Turkana people. Akuj displays different genders depending on the occasion. There are times that Akuj is invoked as Mother (Ito) or as Father (Apa). It is the assumption of the tribe that Akuj is simply an single entity which serves as the core of their beliefs, with multiple facets or traits which display accordingly in order to explain a deep red sky or the heavy winds that blow (Moore, H. L., Sanders, T., & Kaare, B. 2003)

According to tribal stories, the origin of their people came to be when women pushed up the sky a created a space for people, plants and animals to be reborn outside the skeleton of Akuj. This also reflects the ambiguous nature of the gender of Akuj. Just as a child, when born, leaves the womb, and eventually feeds from its mother’s breast, the Turkana people left Akuj’s skeleton, but are nourished from the plants and herds they cultivate on earth (Moore, H. L., Sanders, T., & Kaare, B. 2003)

The Turkana tribe’s beliefs build upon the androgynous nature they have for Anuj with their rituals and their rites of passage. Because of the dual nature of Anuj, the tribe considers children this same way until they have matured and have become in essence, of a single gender. The child must be of a single gender once matured in order to be completed by marriage and then be able to reproduce.

An example of this is the rite of passage for men, known as Asapan. This rite involves a very particular play in androgyny and without it, boys are not considered initiated. This excludes them from eating with elders, participating in meeting and being considered as a grown man in general. Also, this prevents them from being able to marry, as they are not of a single gender without having gone through with the initiation. Once they have completed this rite of passage, males pass from boys (esorokit) to warriors (ekajion) (Moore, H. L., Sanders, T., & Kaare, B. 2003). In essence, boys must pass though all the stages of infancy and womanhood before he can be reborn as a man and has completed his initiation ritual. He must spear his favorite ox, supervised by his ceremonial godfather, and then enter the house of his ceremonial godmother. Here he is to spend the next seven days, during which he is address as aternan, which literally means, the bride. His head is anointed with a mixture of oil and ashes and red clay, and he must spend his days with the immature girls of the tribe, completing feminine tasks, and eating food which is intended for newborns (Moore, H. L., Sanders, T., & Kaare, B. 2003).

In the tribal culture, once boys are re-born into warrior men, they wear are anointed with mud, which is then painted blue and green, and decorated with feathers. They also carry a tradition of body tattooing to keep track of the people they have killed, making marks on their upper left arms and chest for the women and children and on their right for the men. Conflicts and issues are solved by the men in proximity to the area, by the “Man Tree” of the area. Here the men of reputation and power first, and the orders are carried on by the male youngsters of the area (Advameg, Inc 2008). Men in the Turkana tribe are also known for their large genitalia, and are not considered to be naked unless the glade of the penis is not covered by the prepuce. They do not practice circumcision as a part of any tribal ritual.

Marriage in the Turkana tribe is polygamous. The bride price for a Turkana bride is uncommonly high. Each new wife lives in the husband’s mother’s hut until she has borne her first child. Once she has a child, she is granted a hut and also gains access to parts of the herds of cattle. This cattle, although is not directly hers, will be inherited by her first born son (Advameg, Inc 2008). The bride-price can include from 50 cattle, 30 to 50 camels, and 100 to 200 small stock. Because of the steep bride price, most men are unable to marry until their father has passed and they have inherited cattle, and even then, in some instances, the men must go around to acquaintances and try to secure additional cattle in order to favor the Bride’s family, and his previous wives.

In respect to the arts, Turkana people are known for their singing. Their songs speak of their cattle and their land (Advameg 2008). The Turkana women commonly wear beaded necklaces as a sign of prosperity and wealth, and these also have social and spiritual significance for the tribe. (Finke, J. 2003). Finally, the Turkana people also weave baskets which are sold in tourist shops in Nairobi (Advameg, Inc 2008).

The Turkana people did not come in contact with colonialism until 1884, when Swahili caravans came to the area in search of Ivory and goods, along with Ethiopians on the same quest. After them, came the British explorers, who were also after Ivory, in the year 1888. Because both expeditionary groups were looking for the same, this caused many conflicts between the British and the Ethiopians. These conflicts lasted until 1918 (Advameg 2008).

Since the Turkana tribe has been hostile with their neighbors and incurred in cattle raids against them, they all armed up and formed what became known as the Labour Force. This group of heavily armed men was able to break the Turkana warriors and subdue them into a British rule from 1918 until World War II. After this time, the cattle raids and animosity between the Turkana and their surrounding neighbors had gone such that the British launched military attacks in order to subdue the conflicts. After Kenyan independence in 1963, the conflicts continued, and although there were general attempts at colonizing the area, they were unsuccessful due to the harsh climate and conditions of the area, which ended up getting worse during the 1970’s (Advameg 2008). Because of this, the area that was set as the Turkana settlements has remained up to date as a poorly developed, overlooked area, and the Turkana tribe has continued on their nomadic traditions across the lands.



The Turkana tribe has remained, like a well woven cloth, put together throughout the changes they have seen as a group of people in Africa. Despite colonization attempts by the British people and the Ethiopian people, their culture, beliefs and traditions have prevailed and to this day, they still roam the lands of their ancestors.

As a group of people, we see that they are survivors, engaging in wars and raids with different tribes in order to subside the harsh conditions they face each season.

They are spiritual people and have a god that is considered a single entity which serves as the core of their beliefs, with multiple facets or traits, and which has androgynous tendencies.

Most of all, the Turkana people have been able to increase their population have been able to continue their lifestyle, despite the climate they endure.

Compared to the many tribes that call Africa their homeland, the Turkana tribe has been very well kept and has been able to maintain their territory, culture and identity.





References Cited

Advameg, Inc. (2008 In Turkana. Retrieved from http://www.everyculture.com/Africa-Middle-East/Turkana.html

Ambros, E. (1999). The Turkana. In Kenya (3rd ed., pp. 42-43). Hunter

Publishing, Inc.

Eisenstadt, S. N. (2009). Age Groups in NonKinship Societies. In From generation

to generation (3rd ed., pp. 119-123). Transaction Publishers, 2003.

(Original work published 1956)

Enhols.com. (2009). Turkana tribe of Kenya. Retrieved September 4, 2009, from

http://www.enhols.com/kenya_safari/people/turkana/

Finke, J. (2003). Turkana Material Culture. Retrieved September 4, 2009, from

http://www.bluegecko.org/kenya/tribes/turkana/arts.htm

Finke, J. (2003). Turkana Introduction. Retrieved September 4, 2009, from

http://www.bluegecko.org/kenya/tribes/turkana

Moore, H. L., Sanders, T., & Kaare, B. (2003). Those who play with fire: Gender,

Fertility, and Transformation in East and Southern Africa (Vol. 69 of

London School of Economic Monogrpahs on Social Anthopology). Berg

Publishers.

The Kenya Advisor.com. (2007-2009). The Turkana Tribe. In Kenya Advisor.

Retrieved September 4, 2009, from http://www.kenya-advisor.com/turkana-tribe.html