Foundation Mathematics Unit 2

Foundation Mathematics Unit 2

Sample learning activity – smoking

This learning activity explores various costs associated with smoking.

Part 1

Consider the cost per cigarette of the following brands.

Brand / Number of cigarettes in pack / Cost of cigarettes
Vacation / 30 / $21.95
Sunset / 50 / $31.95
Shortbeach / 40 / $27.95
Paul Johnson / 30 / $22.50
Options / 25 / $16.50

Regular smokers are categorised into heavy, medium or light smokers based on their reported daily consumption levels: heavy smokers (25+ cigarettes a day); medium smokers (15–24 cigarettes a day) and light smokers (fewer than 15 cigarettes a day).

Calculate the cost per cigarette for each brand.
James is a heavy smoker and he smokes 30 Paul Johnson cigarettes a day. How much will this cost daily, weekly and annually?
Vicki is a medium smoker and she smokes 20 Vacation cigarettes a day. How much will this cost daily, weekly and annually?
Tran is a light smoker and she smokes 10 Shortbeach cigarettes a day. How much will this cost daily, weekly and annually?
The average life expectancy for an Australian male is 79.9 years and for an Australian female it is 84.3 years. Calculate the number of cigarettes smoked, and the total cost at current prices, for James, Ellie and Tran if they continue to smoke at the same rate and reach the average life expectancy.

Part 2

The government decides to introduce a 12.5% increase to the excise rate on tobacco each year over the next four years.

At the end of the four years how much it would now cost for each of the brands of cigarettes and how much would it cost per cigarette after the excise increases.

James quits smoking for a year and saves the money he would spend on cigarettes. He decides to invest this money for 10 years in an account that earns 4% interest annually.

Calculate how much the account holds at the end of 20 years if the interest is compounded annually, quarterly and monthly.

Part 3

The tables below show the percentage of daily smokers: see

Daily smokers 14 years or older from 1991 to 2013

1991 / 1993 / 1995 / 1998 / 2001 / 2004 / 2007 / 2010 / 2013
Total % / 24.3 / 25.0 / 23.8 / 21.8 / 19.4 / 17.5 / 16.6 / 15.1 / 12.8

Daily Smokers 18 years or older from 1991 to 2013

1991 / 1993 / 1995 / 1998 / 2001 / 2004 / 2007 / 2010 / 2013
Total % / 25.0 / 26.1 / 25.0 / 22.7 / 20.0 / 18.2 / 17.5 / 15.9 / 13.3

Draw a line graph for each table
Describe the trend in the numbers of smokers for each group.
Use the graphs to predict the percentage of daily smokers for each group in 2016, and explain your reasoning.

The Australia Cancer Council states that ‘one innine cancers, and one in five cancer deaths, are due to smoking’ and ‘Cancer costs more than $3.8 billion in direct health system costs (7.2% of total costs)’.
It is estimated that 128,000 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in Australia in 2015, rising to 150,000 new cases by 2020.

Express the 2020 figure as a percentage increase of the 2015 figure.
If one in sixcancers are due to smoking approximately how would thisbe costing the health system based on 2015 and 2020 estimates?

Areas of study

The following content from the areas of study is addressed through this learning activity.

Area of study / Content dot point
Patterns and number
Data / 1, 3, 4
1, 3

Outcomes

The following outcomes, key knowledge and key skills are addressed through this task.

Outcome / Key knowledge dot point / Key skill dot point
1 / Patterns and number
1, 2, 4
Data
3, 7 / Patterns and number
1, 2, 3
Data
2, 4
2 / 1, 2, 3 / 1, 2, 3
3 / 1, 2 / 1, 2