Identifying Operations in Word Problems

Identifying Operations in Word Problems

Read each word problem carefully. For each problem, determine which mathematical operation (addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division) you would use to solve it. Write the operation in the blank provided. You do NOT need to solve the problem.

1. Sarah had 25 stickers. She bought 15 more stickers. To find the total number of stickers Sarah has, you would use  .

2. A baker made 120 cookies and packed them equally into 10 boxes. To find out how many cookies are in each box, you would use  .

3. There were 56 students in the school play. 18 students were in the first act. To find out how many students were in the second act, you would use  .

4. A car travels 60 miles per hour. To find out how far the car travels in 3 hours, you would use  .

5. John saved $75. He spent $28 on a new book. To find out how much money John has left, you would use  .

6. A farmer planted 7 rows of apple trees with 12 trees in each row. Which operation would you use to find the total number of apple trees?

7. A class has 30 students. If they are divided into groups of 5 for a project, which operation would you use to find the number of groups?

8. If a problem asks 'how many in all', you should always use subtraction.

9. The phrase 'left over' often indicates a subtraction problem.

10. Write a word problem that requires multiplication to solve. Then, explain why multiplication is the correct operation for your problem.