Math Problem of the Week - Upper Elementary - Apr. 3, 2022 to Apr. 9, 2022

Upper Elementary: 

Question: Hypatia was a a Greek mathematician, philosopher, astronomer, and lecturer. In the morning, she gave 2-hour lectures about mathematics. Midday, she lectured about philosophy for 2 hours and 45 minutes. In the afternoon, she gave hour-and-a-half lectures about astronomy. In the evening, she again lectured about mathematics for 2 hours and 50 minutes. How much time did Hypatia spend lecturing each day?

Answer:  9 hours and 5 minutes

Solution:  If we add the number of whole hours Hypatia lectured, we get 2 + 2 + 1 + 2 = 7 hours. If we add the minutes, we get 45 + 30 + 50 = 125 minutes, or 2 hours and 5 minutes. That means that Hypatia lectured for 7 hours + 2 hours + 5 minutes = 9 hours and 5 minutes.