Comparing Quantities: Real-Life Inequalities for 5th Graders

1. Sarah has 15 apples, and Tom has 10 apples. Write an inequality to show that Sarah has more apples than Tom.

• 15 > 10

• 10 > 15

• 15 < 10

• 15 = 10

2. A box can hold at most 20 toys. If you have 12 toys, write an inequality to represent how many more toys you can add.

• x < 8

• x ≥ 12

• x ≤ 8

• x = 10

3. There are 30 students in a class. If 18 students are present, write an inequality to show how many students are absent.

• x > 18

• x < 12

• x >= 12

• x <= 18

4. A car can travel at least 50 miles on a full tank. If it has 30 miles left, write an inequality to show how many more miles it can travel before needing gas.

• x >= 10

• x <= 20

• x < 30

• x > 20

5. Jenny read 25 pages of her book, and she wants to read at least 40 pages. Write an inequality to represent how many more pages she needs to read.

• x <= 10

• x >= 15

• x < 15

• x = 20

6. A store has 100 candies. If 45 candies are sold, write an inequality to show how many candies are left in the store.

• x >= 55

• x < 55

• x = 55

• x <= 55

7. Mark has 5 more than twice the number of marbles that Lisa has. If Lisa has x marbles, write an inequality to express this situation.

• M ≤ 2x + 5

• M = 2x + 5

• M > 2x + 5

• M < 2x + 5

8. A recipe requires at least 3 cups of flour. If you have 2 cups, write an inequality to show how many more cups you need to meet the requirement.

• x < 1

• x >= 1

• x > 1

• x <= 1

9. A school has 200 books, and 75 of them are fiction. Write an inequality to show how many non-fiction books are in the school.

• non_fiction_books <= 75

• non_fiction_books = 200

• non_fiction_books >= 125

• non_fiction_books < 75

10. A bike can carry a maximum weight of 150 pounds. If a rider weighs 120 pounds, write an inequality to show how much more weight can be added.

• x <= 30

• x = 150

• x < 30

• x >= 30