Toilet Paper Math

Sean's cousin, Kathleen, is a math teacher in Oregon.  She shared the following math problem that she created to help engage in kids in some fun at-home learning.  

Toilet Paper Math Challenge

There has been much talk during the COVID-19 outbreak about grocery stores running out of toilet paper.  For some reason, this is one commodity that people feel the need to hoard. In this project, you will consider the amount of toilet paper your family currently has on hand at your house.  Assume that you will be unable to purchase any more toilet paper before the stay-at-home order is lifted (this is not actually likely, as many stores are now limiting how much of high-demand items like toilet paper that each customer can buy).

The Question: Based on the amount you have in your home right now, how long will your toilet paper supply last?  Make an estimate before you begin: __________________________________________

Now, do some calculations to get a better sense of how long your supplies will last.  Things to consider:

• How many rolls of toilet paper do you have throughout your house right now?
• How many sheets (squares) per roll?
• How many people live in your house?  (We are assuming that you are practicing social distancing and not inviting anyone into your home for the duration of the stay-at-home order.)
• For each person in your household… (you may have to interview each person)
• How many toilet visits per day?
• How many wipes per visit?
• How many sheets (square) per wipe?
• Does anyone in your household use toilet paper for any other purposes?  If so, how much, how often, etc.?

Write or type up a report that explains your findings and shows all the calculations and considerations you made in order to determine how long your toilet paper supply will last.  Be sure to tell what your initial estimate was as well.

Aiden's response was, "I'm doing it right now!!!!".  

Bree's response was "I'm NOT doing it!", as she reached for a book.  Typical.

BTW - Aiden's initial calculation was 54 days.  I think he's way overestimated how long our supply will last.  We'll see how close he is in 54 days (or less!!).