What are some keywords in a word problem that often suggest you need to multiply?
Keywords include: "each," "every," "per," "in all" (when dealing with equal groups), "times," and "product of."
A library receives 4 new boxes of books. Each box contains 136 books. How many books did the library receive in total? What is the equation needed to solve this?
The keyword "each" points to multiplication. The equation is \(4 \times 136 = ?\).
A movie theater sold 8 tickets for a show. Each ticket cost $125. What is the total amount of money the theater made from these tickets? Set up the equation.
Since each of the \(8\) tickets has the same cost, you multiply. The equation is \(8 \times 125 = ?\). (Note: While ticket prices are usually lower, this is for calculation practice).
A factory can produce 3,250 widgets per day. How many widgets can it produce in a 5-day work week?
$$ 3,250 \times 5 = 16,250 $$ The factory can produce \(16,250\) widgets.
What is the first step you should take when you read a word problem?
Read the problem carefully to understand what it's asking. Identify the numbers you have and look for keywords or context clues that tell you which operation (addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division) to use.
A long-distance runner runs 15 miles every day. How many miles does she run in a week (7 days)?
$$ 15 \times 7 = 105 $$ She runs \(105\) miles in a week.
How can you check if your answer to a word problem is reasonable?
Use estimation. For the problem "\(136 \times 4\)," you could estimate \(100 \times 4 = 400\) or \(140 \times 4 = 560\). Your exact answer, \(544\), is between these estimates, so it is reasonable.
Write a word problem that could be solved with the equation \(6 \times 245 = ?\).
Example: A school has \(6\) fourth-grade classrooms. If there are \(245\) books in each classroom, how many books are there in all the fourth-grade classrooms combined?
