Mathematics
Grade 6
15 min
Word problems with extra or missing information
Word problems with extra or missing information
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1
Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Identify the specific question being asked in a word problem.
Distinguish between relevant and irrelevant (extra) numerical and contextual information in word problems.
Determine if a word problem contains sufficient information to be solved.
Formulate a plan to solve word problems using only the necessary information.
Identify what information is missing when a problem cannot be solved.
Solve word problems by consciously ignoring extra information.
Explain why certain information is extra or missing in a given problem.
Ever tried to bake a cake but the recipe had too many ingredients listed, or some were missing? 🍰 Math problems can be like that too!
In this lesson, you'll learn how to become a detective for word problems, figuring out what info...
2
Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
Relevant InformationFacts, numbers, or details in a word problem that are directly needed to answer the question being asked.If a problem asks 'How many apples?', the number of apples is relevant information.
Irrelevant Information (Extra Information)Facts, numbers, or details given in a word problem that are not needed to answer the question. They are often included to make you think carefully.If a problem asks 'How many apples?', the number of oranges or the color of the apples might be irrelevant information.
Missing InformationFacts, numbers, or details that are necessary to solve a word problem but are not provided in the problem statement.If a problem asks 'How much did Sarah spend?' but doesn't state the price of the items sh...
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Core Formulas
Rule 1: Understand the Question
Read the problem carefully, at least twice, to fully grasp what is being asked.
Before doing any calculations, identify the main question. What specific value or information are you trying to find? Underline or circle the question to keep it in mind.
Rule 2: Identify and Sort Information
Go through each piece of information (numbers, facts) in the problem and categorize it.
Ask yourself: 'Is this information directly related to answering the question?' If yes, it's relevant. If no, it's extra. If you need something that isn't there, it's missing. Make a list of relevant information.
Rule 3: Plan Your Solution
Based on the relevant information and the question, decide which operations are needed.
If there&#...
5 more steps in this tutorial
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Challenging
A recipe for a fruit smoothie requires bananas and strawberries in a ratio of 2:3. The recipe makes enough for 4 servings. If you want to make enough smoothies for a party, how many strawberries do you need?
A.You need 3 strawberries.
B.You need 6 strawberries.
C.The ratio of servings to strawberries is 4:3.
D.The problem cannot be solved because the number of people at the party is missing.
Challenging
A store sells apples for a certain price per pound and oranges for $1.50 per pound. A customer buys 3 pounds of apples and some oranges, and the total cost is $12.00. The store is open from 8 AM to 9 PM. Which single piece of additional information would be sufficient to find the number of pounds of oranges the customer bought?
A.The total number of apples the customer bought
B.The price of apples per pound
C.The time the customer made the purchase
D.The total weight of all fruit purchased
Challenging
A rectangular garden has a length of 12 meters and a width of 8 meters. Fencing costs $10 per meter. The garden contains 5 rose bushes. To calculate the total cost to fence the entire garden, which piece of information is irrelevant?
A.The length of the garden
B.The width of the garden
C.The cost of fencing per meter
D.The number of rose bushes
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