Word Problems: Shapes in the Real World
Use what you know about shapes to solve real-world problems!
How to Solve Shape Word Problems
When solving word problems about shapes, follow these steps:
Problem-Solving Steps
- Read carefully: What is the problem asking?
- Picture it: Draw the shape or imagine it in your mind.
- Use what you know: Think about the shape's sides, corners, or faces.
- Solve it: Answer the question.
- Check it: Does your answer make sense?
Word Problems
Solve each word problem. Think about the shapes and their attributes.
Problem 1: The Birthday Cake
Emma's birthday cake is round on top. When you look at it from the side, it looks like a rectangle. What 3D shape is Emma's cake?
Show Answer
Cylinder - A cake that is round on top and rectangular from the side is a cylinder shape!
Problem 2: Toy Blocks
Marcus has a toy block. It has 6 faces that are all the same size and shape. Each face is a square. What shape is his toy block?
Show Answer
Cube - A cube has 6 square faces that are all the same size.
Problem 3: The Fence
A farmer wants to build a fence with 4 sides. Two sides are 10 feet long. Two sides are 6 feet long. What shape is the fence?
Show Answer
Rectangle - The fence is a rectangle because it has 4 sides with 2 long sides and 2 short sides.
Problem 4: Pizza Party
A whole pizza is shaped like a circle. If you cut it into 4 equal pieces, what shape is each slice?
Show Answer
Triangle - Each pizza slice is shaped like a triangle (with one curved side from the circle's edge).
Problem 5: Building a Tower
Lily stacks 3 cubes on top of each other. Then she puts a cone on the very top. How many flat faces are showing on the outside of her tower (not counting the bottom)?
Show Answer
12 flat faces - Each cube shows 4 side faces (front, back, left, right). 3 cubes x 4 faces = 12 faces. The cone has 0 flat faces showing on the sides.
Problem 6: The Playground
On the playground, there is a sandbox. Looking from above, it has 4 equal sides and 4 corners. What shape is the sandbox?
Show Answer
Square - A shape with 4 equal sides and 4 corners is a square.
Problem 7: Ball Collection
Jake has 5 balls: a basketball, a soccer ball, a tennis ball, a beach ball, and a golf ball. What 3D shape are ALL of Jake's balls?
Show Answer
Sphere - All balls are spheres because they are round all over with no flat faces or corners.
Problem 8: The Art Project
For art class, Sofia needs to draw a shape with 6 sides. What is the name of this shape?
Show Answer
Hexagon - A hexagon is a shape with 6 sides and 6 corners. "Hex" means 6!
Problem 9: Comparing Shapes
A triangle has 3 corners. A square has 4 corners. A pentagon has 5 corners. How many more corners does a pentagon have than a triangle?
Show Answer
2 more corners - Pentagon (5 corners) - Triangle (3 corners) = 2 more corners.
Problem 10: Ice Cream Time
Maya gets an ice cream cone. The cone part is what 3D shape? The ice cream scoop on top is what 3D shape?
Show Answer
Cone and Sphere - The cone part is a cone shape. The round scoop of ice cream is a sphere!
Problem 11: The Bookshelf
Each shelf on the bookshelf is shaped like a rectangle. There are 3 shelves. How many corners are there in total on all the shelves?
Show Answer
12 corners - Each rectangle has 4 corners. 3 shelves x 4 corners = 12 corners total.
Problem 12: Shape Detective
Look at a cereal box. It is a 3D shape. It has 6 faces. Some faces are bigger than others. What is this shape called?
Show Answer
Rectangular Prism - A cereal box is a rectangular prism with 6 rectangular faces (some bigger, some smaller).
Check Your Understanding
After solving these word problems, think about:
- Did you picture each shape in your mind?
- Did you use what you know about sides, corners, and faces?
- Can you find these shapes in your own world?
Next Steps
- Practice finding shapes around your home and school
- Make up your own shape word problems for a friend
- Continue to the Common Mistakes lesson to avoid tricky errors