Category: Volume

What is the shape of solar panels?

Grade level: 4th -5th grades

Skills: Identify shapes / Volume

Related environmental issues: Energy 

 

Jacob’s family just installed solar panels at home to generate electricity from solar energy. The figure below shows one of the solar panels they have.

 

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  1. Name the shape of the solar panel.
  2. Write down the number of vertices, sides, and faces of the solar panel.
  3. Find the volume of the solar panel.

 

Answer keys

1.rectangular prism
2. 8 vertices, 12 sides, and 6 faces
3.160 x 80 x 4 = 51,200 (cm3)

 

Factful Environmental Math Problems (2020)

Just published and now available from Amazon  (paperback)

About this book

The objective of Factful Environmental Math Problems is to cultivate our young people’s skills to analyze and evaluate fact-based data for understanding our world, while improving their math skills and critical thinking skills.

With the rise of the Internet and new technology, building skills to analyze and evaluate fact-based data becomes increasingly important for our young people to prepare for this rapidly changing world. These skills minimize their chances of being brainwashed by false information and making uninformed decisions and ultimately help develop their critical thinking skills. (Read more)

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Published: March 26, 2020

Price: $6.25

How much gasoline can a hybrid car save?

Grade level:  5th grades

Skills:  Multiply fractions & Measurements (volume)

Related environmental issues: Energy

Area level: National, State, Regional, Household

Aden heard that hybrids cars consume less gasoline than regular cars because hybrid cars use electricity along with gasoline. Now he wants to know how much gasoline hybrid cars can save. He learned that a regular Ford Fusion that runs only on gasoline uses 3 gallons 3 quarts 1 cup of gasoline and a hybrid version of a Ford Fusion uses 1 gallon 8 cups of gasoline when driving 100 miles, which is about 2 hours away.

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2016 Ford Fusion

1.For driving 100 miles, how many gallons and cups of gasoline does a regular Ford Fusion use than a hybrid Ford Fusion?

2.For driving 200 miles, how many less gasoline does a hybrid Ford Fusion use than a regular Ford Fusion? Use fractions.

3.The gasoline price is $2 per gallon today. How many dollars and cents does a hybrid Ford Fusion can save on gasoline than a regular Ford Fusion for driving 200 miles?

Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Fuel Economy

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Answer keys

  1. 2 gallons 5 cups (3 gallons 3 quarts 1 cup – 1 gallon 8 cups = 3 gallons 13 cups – 1 gallon 8 cups = 2 gallons 5 cups)
  2. 4 5/8 gallons (2 gallons 5 cups x 2 = 4 gallons 10 cups = 4  10/16 gallons = 4  5/8 gallons)
  3. 9 1/4 dollars (2 x 37/8 = 9 1/4 dollars (9 dollars and 25 cents)