SOCIO-MATH PROBLEMS
FOR SAN FRANCISCO STUDENTS
1). Zelda and Jane were given a rottweiler
at their commitment ceremony. If their dog needs to be walked two miles a day and they
walk at a rate of 1/2 mile per hour, how much time will they spend discussing their
relationship in public?
2). Michael has two abusive stepfathers and
an alcoholic mother. If his self-esteem is reduced by 20% per dysfunctional parent, but
Michael feels 3% better for every person he denigrates, how long will it take before he's
ready to go home if 1 person walks by the cafe every 2 minutes?
3). Sanjeev has 7 piercings. If the
likelihood of getting cellulitis on a given day is 10% per piercing, what is the
likelihood Sanjeev will need to renew his erythromycin prescription during the next week?
4). Chad wants to take half a pound of
heroin to Orinda and sell it at a 20% profit. If it originally cost him $1,500 in food
stamps, how much should Nicole write the check for?
5). The City and County of San Francisco
decide to destroy 50 rats infesting downtown. If 9,800 animal rights activists hold a
candlelight vigil, how many people did each dead rat empower?
6). A red sock, a yellow sock, a blue sock,
and a white sock are tossed randomly in a drawer. What is the likelihood that the first
two socks drawn will be socks of color?
7). George weighs 245 pounds and drinks two
triple lattes every morning. If each shot of espresso contains 490mg of caffeine, what is
George's average caffeine density in mg/pound?
8). There are 4500 homes in Mill Valley and
all of them recycle plastic. If each household recycles 10 soda bottles a day and buys one
polar fleece pullover per month, does Mill Valley have a monthly plastic surplus or
deficit? Bonus question: Assuming all the plastic bottles are 1 liter size, how much Evian
are they drinking?
9). If the average person can eat one pork
pot sticker in 30 seconds, and the waitress brings a platter of 12 pot stickers, how long
will it take five vegans to not eat them?
10). Todd begins walking down Market Street
with 12 $1 bills in his wallet. If he always gives panhandlers a single buck, how many
legs did he have to step over if he has $3 left when he reaches the other end and met only
one double-amputee?
Advanced Placement Students Only
11) Katie, Trip, Ling, John-John and Effie
share a three-bedroom apartment on Guerrero for $2400 a month. Effie and Trip can share
one bedroom, but the other three need their own rooms with separate ISDN lines to run
their web servers. None of them wants to use the futon in the living room as a bed, and
they each want to save $650 in three months to attend Burning Man. What is their best
option?
a) All five roommates accept a $12/hour
job-share as handgun monitors at Mission High.
b) Ask Miles, the bisexual auto mechanic, to share Effie and Trip's bedroom for
$500/month.
c) Petition the Board of Supervisors to advance Ling her annual digital-artists-of-color
stipend.
d) Rent strike.
 
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