Let’s Learn!
How can pictures and equations help us solve word problems?
Goal:
Goal:
Think About It!
Goal: Use a picture and an equation to represent a word problem.
There is a family of 6 monkeys at the zoo. Each monkey eats 9 bananas throughout the day. How many bananas do the monkeys eat every day?
This is a multiplication word problem. We can find the product by following these problem-solving steps:
Problem-Solving Steps
- Read the problem.
- Look for important information.
- Write a math sentence.
- Choose a way to solve.
- Solve and label your answer.
Click through the slides below to see how to answer the monkey word problem.
Step 1: Read the problem.
Read the multiplication word problem again to make sure you understand what you need to find.
Step 2: Look for important information.
To solve a word problem, you need the important information. In this problem, you need to know the factors to find how many bananas the monkeys eat every day. Do you know the factors?
There is a family of 6 monkeys at the zoo. Each monkey eats 9 bananas throughout the day. How many bananas do the monkeys eat every day?
Click the Show Me button to check your answer.
There is a family of 6 monkeys at the zoo. Each monkey eats 9 bananas throughout the day. How many bananas do the monkeys eat every day?
Step 3: Write a math sentence.
That is right! 6 and 9 are the factors. We can use these factors to write a multiplication sentence, or a multiplication equation. An equation is a way to show that two things are equal. When we find the product, both sides of the equal sign will be equal!
6 \({ \times }\) 9 = ?
Step 4: Choose a way to solve: Multiplication Picture
Let's draw a picture to help us solve this problem. Multiplication pictures are made up of circles and objects. They represent the number of groups and the number in each group.
Click the Show Me button to see the multiplication picture for 6 \({ \times }\) 9 = ____!
Step 5: Solve and label your answer.
There are many ways you can solve to find the answer. You can find the product by finding the total number of triangles! You can do this by counting each triangle. You can use repeated addition and add 9 six times. Or you can skip count by 9 six times. Which way will you choose?
Count each triangle.
54
Yes! There are 54 triangles in total.
Add 9 six times.
9 + 9 + 9 + 9 + 9 + 9 = 54
Yes! There are 54 triangles in total.
Skip count by 9 six times.
9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54
Yes! There are 54 triangles in total.
We still need to finish solving the problem. Now that we know the product, we can finish our multiplication equation by filling in the product and labeling the answer. Click the product to see the final answer.
6 \({ \times }\) 9 = 54
6 \({ \times }\) 9 = 54 bananas