Real-Life Math
You are the owner of a small but busy pet store. You specialize in the herpetology field, particularly salamanders and newts.
Over the last few months, you've been trying to decide whether to branch off into another area of the pet business. You've noticed a need for the short-term care and maintenance of pets for families who need to leave town. You decide to give it a try.
You've been advertising this service for just under a week when you are approached by Charlie Arbuckle. He has an American green tree frog named Squirt. Although you studied this species years ago, you can't remember how to care for one.
You know this type of frog must be housed in a large, unheated vivarium (a place that simulates the animal's natural environment) and kept out of direct sunlight. You must now figure out how often to feed the little guy for the week and 2 days that he will be with you.
"Math is important to any scientist in that there are always formulas, some complex. You need to be able to do some complex mathematical juggling at times," says herpetologist Daniel Giffney.
You find out that along with moths, flies and a vitamin supplement powder once a week, the main staple of the American green tree frog is crickets. For a 1.5-inch frog, you need to feed him 3 to 4 crickets every 3 days.
You need to figure out how the maximum number of crickets you need and when you will be feeding them to Squirt.