Question

A tortoise is walking in the desert. It walks for 11.2 meters at a speed of 7 meters per minute. For how many minutes does it walk?

Answer 1

let me do the honors :P
@phi
:)

Answer 2

1.6 ?

Answer 3

what equation do you start with ?

Answer 4

whenever I see words like "speed" or "time" I think of
speed * time = distance.
then I search the problem for numbers that I can fill in.

Answer 5

walks for 11.2 meters <--- that is a distance

speed * time = distance becomes
speed * time= 11.2 m

Answer 6

7min = 11.2 m

Answer 7

t = (11/2m)/(7min)

Answer 8

11.2*

Answer 9

almost. you start with
speed * time = distance
replace speed with 7, and distance with 11.2
7 * time= 11.2

or (in algebra we use letters. so change time to just "t")
7t= 11.2

now to find t, divide both sides by 7

Answer 10

so 1.6?

Answer 11

***
7min = 11.2 m
***
you should not write this... 7 minutes does not equal 11.2 meters...
you should write
7 meters/min * t = 11.2 meters
now divide both sides by 7 meters/min

you will get
t= 1.6 minutes

Answer 12

But the important part is
Start with an equation.

replace the "variables" with numbers.
solve the equation

The idea is to practice thinking like this, and learning to do this procedure.