Word Problems
Learn
In this lesson, you will apply your decimal knowledge to real-world word problems. Decimals appear in many everyday situations, especially with money and measurements.
Where Do We See Decimals?
- Money: Prices like $4.99 or $12.50
- Measurements: Height (5.5 feet), weight (3.25 pounds)
- Sports: Race times (9.58 seconds), batting averages (0.325)
- Science: Temperature readings, precise measurements
Problem-Solving Steps
- Read the problem carefully
- Identify the decimals and what they represent
- Decide what operation is needed
- Solve and check your answer
Examples
Work through these examples to see the concepts in action.
Example 1: Money Comparison
Sarah has $5.75 and Jake has $5.80. Who has more money?
Solution: Compare 5.75 and 5.80. Since 80 hundredths > 75 hundredths, Jake has more money.
Example 2: Measurement
A pencil is 0.19 meters long. Another pencil is 0.2 meters long. Which is longer?
Solution: Rewrite 0.2 as 0.20. Compare: 0.20 > 0.19. The second pencil is longer.
✏️ Practice
Test your understanding with these practice questions.
Practice Questions
0/4 correctIf y = 3x represents a proportional relationship, what is the constant of proportionality?
A recipe uses 2 cups of flour for every 3 cups of sugar. If you use 6 cups of flour, how many cups of sugar do you need?
Which equation represents a proportional relationship?
The table shows x: 2, 4, 6 and y: 8, 16, 24. What is the constant of proportionality?
Check Your Understanding
Test yourself with these 10 review questions. Click each question to reveal the answer.
Question 1: A book costs $8.99 and a notebook costs $3.50. Which item costs more?
Answer: The book costs more. $8.99 > $3.50 because 8 > 3 in the ones place.
Question 2: Maria ran 2.4 miles and Tom ran 2.35 miles. Who ran farther?
Answer: Maria ran farther. Rewrite 2.4 as 2.40. Then 2.40 > 2.35.
Question 3: A candy bar weighs 0.15 kg. A bag of chips weighs 0.2 kg. Which weighs more?
Answer: The bag of chips weighs more. Rewrite 0.2 as 0.20. Then 0.20 > 0.15.
Question 4: Three friends measured their heights: Alex is 1.32 m, Ben is 1.3 m, and Cara is 1.29 m. Order them from shortest to tallest.
Answer: Cara (1.29 m), Ben (1.30 m), Alex (1.32 m). Convert 1.3 to 1.30 to compare.
Question 5: A store sells apples for $0.75 each and oranges for $0.8 each. Which fruit costs more per piece?
Answer: Oranges cost more. Rewrite $0.8 as $0.80. Then $0.80 > $0.75.
Question 6: Sam scored 9.5 points and Kim scored 9.45 points in a gymnastics competition. Who scored higher?
Answer: Sam scored higher. Rewrite 9.5 as 9.50. Then 9.50 > 9.45.
Question 7: A recipe calls for 0.25 cups of sugar. Another recipe needs 0.3 cups. Which recipe uses more sugar?
Answer: The second recipe uses more sugar. Rewrite 0.3 as 0.30. Then 0.30 > 0.25.
Question 8: Three race times were recorded: 12.5 seconds, 12.48 seconds, and 12.55 seconds. Order from fastest to slowest.
Answer: 12.48 s (fastest), 12.50 s (12.5), 12.55 s (slowest). Lower times are faster.
Question 9: A container holds 1.5 liters. Another holds 1.45 liters. Which holds more?
Answer: The first container holds more. Rewrite 1.5 as 1.50. Then 1.50 > 1.45.
Question 10: Emma has $10.09 and Liam has $10.9. Who has more money?
Answer: Liam has more money. Rewrite $10.9 as $10.90. Then $10.90 > $10.09.
Next Steps
- Review any concepts that felt challenging
- Move on to the next lesson when ready
- Return to practice problems periodically for review