Carrie Nader

MATH 2010

11/2/18

Counting Red and White Cars and Trains

Understand The Problem

In this problem we are asked to make a train using only red (two units long) and White

(one unit long) cars. The first question is asking us how many ways it is possible to make a train

using only red and white cars that is equivalent to the purple car (four units), then we are asked

to do the same thing with the yellow car (five units). After answering those questions we are

asked to see if there is a pattern with the number of trains you can make with lengths 3,4, and 5.

Then they wants us to use that to predict the amount of trains you can make with length 8. After

all of it they want you to create a sort of formula for lengths n. And they want to justify your

answer in more than one way if possible. Then for question 6 it wants me to repeat the same

process for trains that can be made with no white cars in it.

Devise A Plan

The way I solved this problem the first time I did it was to draw a picture/make a list (it's

kind of both and that seemed to work for me, so for the first couple questions I will use that. For

the second two questions I will looks back at the answers I got and will try to look for a pattern

and that will help me answer the second two questions.

Carry Out the Plan

 When I did this on paper I drew boxes with the approximate length of each car of each

train and just labeled the boxes. Since I can’t draw boxes on here I will make a list of the trains

with the order of cars R=red cars and W= white cars.

5.

1. Purple (length 4)= RR, WRW, WWR, RWW, WWWW. There is a total of 5 ways to

make a RW train of length 4.

2. Yellow (length 5): RRW, WRR, RWR, WRWW, WWRW, WWWR, RWWW,

WWWWW. There is a total of 8 ways to make a RW train of length 5.

3. The pattern I see is that is goes 3, then, 5, then 8 ways to make the various trains, it

increases by 2 then 3 then 4 etc. This pattern is know and the Fibonacci Sequence. Based

on this sequence the number of trains you can make with length 8 is 34 ways.

4. So to find the nth “term”. Or to find how many ways is possible you would use this

formula: ​ x​n​ = x​n-1​ + x​n-2​.

6. P=purple Y=Yellow, LG= Light Green

1. Purple Train= RR, P. There is a total of 2 ways.

2. Yellow Train= Y, LGR, RLG= 3 ways

3. It is hard to see a pattern at first here but if you continue the work by finding out how

many trains you can make of length 6 and 7 you will discover that you can make 5 trains

of length 6 and 8 for length 7. So even though it starts earlier than the last problem it is

that same sequence. So length 8 would have 34 ways to make trains.

4. Since this is the same pattern as the previous problem, you would have the exact same

formula to figure out how many ways to make trains of length n.

Look Back

Looking back on this problem, I know I really hated it the first time I did it, because I

was struggling with it so much and it took me a very, VERY long time to figure out. Now

that I am looking through this problem a second time, it was a lot easier and made a lot

more sense to me. I personally can’t think of any other way to solve this problem other

than look for a pattern and draw a picture/make a list. I think the way my future students

would go about solving this problem would be to use manipulatives to physically make

the trains and write down the number of ways to make the various trains. They may need

help trying to figure out a pattern and making a sort of formula for any length n, and

that's where I would come in and try to help them.