Let's learn with an example.
Kate is running around the park. The length of the sides of the park are 207 feet, 192 feet, 265 feet, and 186 feet. How far does Kate have to run if she goes around the park once?
The question is asking us to figure out the total distance around the park.
This is also called the perimeter of the park.
To find the perimeter, add the lengths of all the sides.
207 ft + 192 ft + 265 ft + 186 ft = ?
Let's line up the numbers in column form.
The total is 850 ft.
We always write our answer as a complete sentence, so people can understand:
Kate will run total of 850 ft if she goes around the park once. ✅
Great job solving this problem.
Let's try another.
Simon is painting a wall. The height of the wall is 3.15 meters and the width is 2.4 meters. What is the area of the wall?
We need to figure out the area of the wall, which is a rectangle.
To find the area of a rectangle, multiply the length by the width.
Area = Length × Width
Let's start multiplying:
Area = 3.15 × 2.4
We can arrange the numbers in column, or vertical, form.
The answer is 7.56 square meters.
The area of the wall that Simon is painting is 7.56 square meters. ✅
It's important to write "square meters" when writing the area.
Mr. Peters has a piece of wood that is 15 inches wide. If the total area of the wood is 180 square inches, what is its length?
We need to figure out the length of the wood.
We know that to find the area of a space, we multiply the length and width.
Area = Length × Width
But if we have the area and the width, how do we find the length?
We divide the area by the width.
Length = Area ÷ Width
Let's use this to find the length.
Length = 180 ÷ 15
We can use long division to solve this.
The answer is 12 inches.
The wood is 12 inches long. ✅
Remember to write the unit, inches, after the number 12.
Great work solving all these word problems.
Now, try the practice to build up your problem-solving skills.