I taught two sections of Algebra 2 during my first year at Good Counsel, but not since.  Here are a few good problems.  I intend to add more by and by.  Feel free to send your favorite Algebra 2 problems, and if I like them I’ll post them and credit you.

Mr. Thompson drives a car that runs best on 89-octane gasoline.  He finds he can save money by filling the tank partway with 87-octane and partway with 93-octane, mixing them in the right proportion to make 89-octane.  How much of each kind would he need to make 12 gallons of 89-octane gas?  (The octane rating of gasoline isn’t actually a percentage, but you can do the calculation as if it were.)

James Bond like his vodka martini (stirred, not shaken -- or is it the other way around?) to contain exactly 42% alcohol.  If a vodka martini is a mixture of 50% alcohol vodka and 18% alcohol vermouth, and Mr. Bond’s martini is to contain 8 ounces, how much vodka and how much vermouth should be used?

Questions, corrections, comments:  Send me e-mail at  markthom@flash.net