Mathematical Operations in Word Problems

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What is Division?

Back

Division is the operation of splitting a number into equal parts. For example, if you have 56 crayons and want to divide them into 7 equal groups, each group will have 8 crayons.

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What is Subtraction?

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Subtraction is the operation of taking one number away from another. For example, if you have 92 days of sunshine in 2015 and 74 days in 2014, you can find out how many more days of sunshine there were by subtracting: 92 - 74 = 18.

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What is Multiplication?

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Multiplication is the operation of adding a number to itself a certain number of times. For example, if there are 4 rows of desks with 9 desks in each row, you can find the total number of desks by multiplying: 4 x 9 = 36.

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What is Addition?

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Addition is the operation of combining two or more numbers to get a total. For example, if Michael has 25 pictures and Cristian has 43 pictures, the total number of pictures they have is 25 + 43 = 68.

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How do you solve a word problem?

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To solve a word problem, read the problem carefully, identify the numbers and operations needed, and then perform the calculation.

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What does 'more than' mean in a word problem?

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'More than' indicates that you need to add a number to another number. For example, if you have 10 apples and you get 5 more, you have 10 + 5 = 15 apples.

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What does 'in all' mean in a word problem?

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'In all' means to find the total amount by adding together all the parts. For example, if it snowed 12 inches one week and 16 inches the next, you would add: 12 + 16 = 28 inches in all.

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What is a key word that indicates subtraction?

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A key word that indicates subtraction is 'difference.' For example, 'What is the difference between 10 and 4?' means you need to subtract: 10 - 4 = 6.

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What is a key word that indicates multiplication?

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A key word that indicates multiplication is 'each.' For example, 'If there are 5 bags with 3 apples each, how many apples are there in total?' means you need to multiply: 5 x 3 = 15.

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What is a key word that indicates division?

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A key word that indicates division is 'per.' For example, 'If there are 12 cookies and 4 friends, how many cookies does each friend get?' means you need to divide: 12 ÷ 4 = 3.