Real-Life Math -- Solution
First you need to add up how many points McWiggy lost.
2.5
+ 5.0 + 2.5 + 2.5 + 1.5 + 7.0 + 3.5 = 24.5
Next, subtract
the total number of demerits from 100.
100 - 24.5 = 75.5
McWiggy
passes the inspection, but just barely. You tell him to shape up or you will
be forced to shut down the restaurant.
Where health inspector Gordon
Stewart works, inspectors don't calculate demerits. But they do have a similar
system.
"We do have a risk-based inspection system," says Stewart.
"They look at every infraction, coded one, two or three (low, medium or high
risk) so based on those infractions they'll be calculating numbers. On each
inspection report they'll be adding up numbers and going, 'OK
this is 25 points -- that puts me at a moderate hazard rating,' or, 'It's
50 points -- that puts them in a high hazard rating.' So they are doing addition
for every inspection -- really basic stuff."
Math isn't just used
when inspecting restaurants. Health inspectors also use math when inspecting
swimming pools, for example.
"If they're looking at a pool inspection,
they're looking at how big the pool is, what's the flow rate, those kinds
of things," says Stewart.