Many people say that planning a vacation is a relaxing and fun experience, but who new it could be educational? For the last month, our class has been working on an interesting project where our job was to plan a road trips and figure out the expenses along the way. It was a pretty straight forwards assignment; you plan a trip and write a report on the math equations, but I decided to make it a little more interesting. If you want to know how many kilometres a horse can travel with 2 cats, how many leaf blowers you need to build a Jetpack, and where you can “legally” camp in New York, then read on!
The Project
Our project started off with us learning the basics of linear equations and how to use them. If you don’t know, a liner equation is an equation which goes up in a straight line when plotted on a graph for each set of data (a commonly used on being y=mx + B). These are crucial to figuring out profits which could be made from a business venture, how much something will cost with time, or how much fuel a vehicle will consume over a certain distance. We also looked a neat program known as the Phet Function Generator which demonstrated how linear equations worked and changed in a tangible way.
After learning the math, it was time to apply it to our project. The brief is this; the Tv Station MTV has decided to grant a lucky person the chance to go on there dream road trip by filling out and application form about it. They have a budget of 10,000$ and have to stay on land (no planes, boats except ferries, etc.) Our first job was to figure out where we wanted to go (starting from New York), and how long it would take. I decided I wanted to travel to Pittsburg and back, which would be 922 Miles round trip. We also got to pick where we would be staying over night (with choices ranging anywhere from a resort to a campground). I decided to pick the campgrounds for they would be the cheapest overall. We also got to decide how many people we brought on our road trip, and I decided to bring 4 (including myself) + two cats. Now this was the normal part of our trip, and things get a little more interesting from here.
Our next task was to choose a mode of transportation, and what would be more fitting for a road tip where we stay in the woods than horses? I found some great deals on the site HorseDeals.com and was able to get 4 horses for only 4000$. I then calculated that horses need 6 pounds of general horse feed (oats, grains, hay mix, etc.) per day to stay active, and I can buy this bulk for 6.72 dollars a day for all the horses, so I only need to spend $208.32 on fuel for the whole trip. As for distance, a horse can travel at a trot on stable terrain for 37 Miles on average, but to account for any delays or issues, I will only travel an estimated 24 Km per day (four hours). Now this covers the transportation, but what about food and equipment?
To go along with the Into the Wild approach to this trip, I decided to catch all my own own food and get water from the streams. To do this I spent $1907 on fishing gear, baggage, water reclaimers, etc. to aid in our travels. Now another requirement in this project is to spend over $9500, so I needed a way to spend some extra money, and luckily, I found something. When we arrive at our destination in Pittsburg, we will spend $2827 on the best seats in the arena at a penguins game and buy awesome merchandise such as Hats and jerseys. We will also have another $500 as flex money, in case we find any interesting activities along the way we want to do.
We also were given the opportunity of getting sponsorships from 3 different companies for some extra money on our trip. We could choose between Coca Cola, Pepsi and Snapple, and each would pay a different amount depending on the length of our trip. From the information I gathered, Pepsi would be the best sponsorship deal for me for after the 14 day if my trip, it would pay more than the other companies. Around half way through the project, our teacher Mr Gross gave us a break with a fun lab, which if completed, gave us the chance of winning bonus money for our project. The assignment was Mr Gross would speed by outside on his electric bicycle, and groups of four people would have to calculate how much he was over the speed limit, and how the theoretical police could catch him. Our group organized everyone to have roles, and were successful in the lab, so we won $8000 bonus dollars. I then decided to spend this on leaf blowers to build a Jetpack and a WingSuit to help with my flying venture. I also am investing the remaining money ($2,670) in Apple Stocks, which masked on the median rate of inflation over the last 10 years will make $3400 in 25 years (which I will then invest in more leaf blower jetpacks).
The Mathspects
During the span of this project, I have created and graphed many equations to aid in calculation of my road trip, and have made a list of the specifics and Mathspects (Math Aspects) of this project which can be accessed through this document
Here are the Basics:
Budget: $18,360 (Including Bonus and Sponsor)
Transportation: $4,203.32 (Cost= 1.68$ x 4 x Days + $4000)
Lodging: $750 (Cost= Days x 25 – 25)
Gear: $1907
Bonus Money + Extra Costs: $8702
Total Cost: $15,562.32
The Road Trip
Now if this were a normal math project, we would have been done after filling out the package, but because this is a PLP Math Project, things wouldn’t be complete without some good defiantly not photoshop pictures of our Road trip:
Why to not fall asleep on horseback
Fishing in Passaic River County Park
Stargazing in Tuscarora State Forest
When the penguins won
Our (Planned) Destinations:
Hollywood Memorial Park:
This intriguing destination is a unique place where many stars of the past lay to rest with incredible tributes and great scenery.
2. Passaic River County Park
A quiet and modest park with good fishing and nice hiking grounds.
3. Saucon Park
A lively and enjoyable river side park with excellent play structures and picnic areas.
4. Upper Macungie Park
Breathtaking river side trails mixed with water falls, cliff sides, and scenic forest walks.
5. Blue Mountain Park
A bike trail frenzy complete with jumps, wooden structures, and winding forest trails with miles for speed.
6. Tuscarora State Forest
A truly natural setting where a hike to the top gives you a view of the wanderlust landscape bellow.
7. Everett
Small and lively towns can be found all throughout Pennsylvania, with Everett being no exception. This wonderful town has many hidden and interesting places under its quaint appearance.
8. Shawnee State Park
Mirror like lakes, manicured gardens, and more can be found in this natural beauty.
9. Irwin
Just like Everett, Irwin’s small appearance is misleading to the wonders within. It’s rustic look adds to its unique atmosphere.
What I’ve learned
I feel that this project was not only a great way to teach and explore liner relations, but also a great way to explore a more complex style of math planning. For me, I realized that my quick multitasking way of thinking could be a challenge in a project where careful calculations and attention to find details is key. I think in the future, double equations checking more and taking my time to get the small details will be beneficial. I also think that keeping a more organized document would be helpful for getting projects done more efficiently. Overall though, this was a fun and engaging project which I enjoyed doing.