Conditional statements in Advertising

One of the ways that conditional statements are used in a non-mathematical context is in advertising. Advertising agents spend a lot of time, energy, and money to convince you that if you buy their product, then certain things will happen. That cause-and-effect relationship can often be rewritten as a conditional statement.

Examples: Rewrite the following advertisements as conditional statements.

• You receive a free cell phone when you sign up for a two year contract.
• Conditional statement: Interactive popup. Assistance may be required. Check Your Answer If you sign up for a two year contract, then you will receive a free cell phone.

• Receive a $3000 rebate when you buy a new car.
• Conditional statement: Interactive popup. Assistance may be required. Check Your AnswerIf you buy a new car, then you will receive a $3000 rebate.

• Buy one, get one free.
• Conditional statement:  Interactive popup. Assistance may be required. Check Your Answer If you buy one item, then you will get one item for free.

Conditional statements in a Language Arts class

In your English language arts class, you may have worked with cause and effect. In a literary context, the idea of cause-and-effect may have been different, but the ideas are the same as what you encounter in a mathematics class.

Sort the following statements into statements that describe cause and statements that describe effect. Click and drag them into the appropriate place in the table.

You may wish to record this summary chart using your notes.

Examples: Write the following causes and effects as conditional statements.

• Cause: Superman kicked the ball.   Effect: The ball flies into outer space.
• Conditional statement: Interactive popup. Assistance may be required. Check Your Answer If Superman kicks the ball, then the ball flies into outer space.

• Cause:  Garfield teased the dog.      Effect: The dog growls.
• Conditional statement: Interactive popup. Assistance may be required. Check Your Answer If Garfield teases the dog, then the dog growls.

• Cause: Dexter studied hard for a test.   Effect: Dexter earns an A on his test.
• Conditional statement: Interactive popup. Assistance may be required. Check Your Answer If Dexter studies hard for a test, then Dexter earns an A on his test.

Conditional statements in Science:
The scientific method is based on making a hypothesis, testing it and then drawing a conclusion. It is not an accident that the two events in a conditional statement are called the hypothesis and the conclusion! You can use what you have learned in your science classes to think about conditional statements in Geometry.

Fill in the blanks.

• A ____?____ is a tentative assumption made in order to test a consequence or conclusion.
  
  Interactive popup. Assistance may be required.

  Check Your Answer

  hypothesis
  
  
  
• A ___?___ is the logical result or outcome of an act or process that is reached after testing a hypothesis.
  
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  Check Your Answer

  conclusion

Examples: Sort the following events into a conditional statement.

Case 1:

• Skin cancer is related to too much exposure to ultraviolet light
• People who spend a lot of time on the beach are more likely to have skin cancer.

If______________________, then ______________________.

Interactive popup. Assistance may be required.

Check Your Answer

If skin cancer is related to too much exposure to ultraviolet light, then people who spend a lot of time on the beach are more likely to have skin cancer.

Case 2:

• The color of a leaf is related to the temperature of its environment
• Leaves exposed to varying degrees of temperature will change colors.

If______________________________ then _____________________________.

Interactive popup. Assistance may be required.

Check Your Answer

If the color of a leaf is related to the temperature of its environment, then leaves exposed to varying degrees of temperature will change colors.