Multiplication and Division Word Problems

Front

What is multiplication?

Back

Multiplication is a mathematical operation that represents the process of adding a number to itself a certain number of times. For example, 3 multiplied by 4 (3 x 4) means adding 3 four times (3 + 3 + 3 + 3) which equals 12.

Front

What is division?

Back

Division is a mathematical operation that represents the process of splitting a number into equal parts. For example, 12 divided by 4 (12 ÷ 4) means splitting 12 into 4 equal parts, which equals 3.

Front

What is a word problem in mathematics?

Back

A word problem is a mathematical question that is presented in the form of a story or real-life scenario, requiring the reader to extract the relevant information and perform calculations to find the solution.

Front

How do you identify the operation needed in a word problem?

Back

To identify the operation needed, look for keywords: 'total' or 'in all' suggests addition, 'left' or 'remaining' suggests subtraction, 'each' or 'per' suggests multiplication, and 'shared' or 'divided' suggests division.

Front

What is the relationship between multiplication and division?

Back

Multiplication and division are inverse operations. This means that if you multiply a number by another number, you can find the original number by dividing the product by that same number.

Front

Example of a multiplication word problem: If there are 5 bags with 6 apples each, how many apples are there in total?

Back

To find the total number of apples, multiply the number of bags by the number of apples in each bag: 5 x 6 = 30 apples.

Front

Example of a division word problem: If 24 candies are shared equally among 6 friends, how many candies does each friend get?

Back

To find out how many candies each friend gets, divide the total number of candies by the number of friends: 24 ÷ 6 = 4 candies per friend.

Front

What is a key strategy for solving word problems?

Back

A key strategy is to read the problem carefully, underline important information, and write down what you need to find out before deciding on the operation to use.

Front

What does the term 'factor' mean in multiplication?

Back

A factor is a number that is multiplied by another number to get a product. For example, in the multiplication 3 x 4, both 3 and 4 are factors.

Front

What does the term 'quotient' mean in division?

Back

The quotient is the result of dividing one number by another. For example, in the division 20 ÷ 5, the quotient is 4.