Word Problem Wednesday: The Values of Fractions

By Mathnasium | June 24, 2020

Beyond Rulers and Measuring Cups

There’s all sorts of ways to measure our favorite things! From the length of a sandwich, to the weight of a watch, to the speed that bike wheels rotate … the list could go on forever. Let’s look at some of these interesting units of measure and practice how to divide them up and measure their fractional parts. You never know when it might come in handy.

Choose the word problem below that’s the right skill level for you. Take your time working it out — and no peeking! We know you can do it! When you feel you’ve found the answer, see the next page to check your solution against ours.


Lower Elementary:
Question: Laura has a heart-shaped necklace charm that breaks into two pieces. If the whole charm weighs 5 12 grams and one of the pieces weighs 2 12 grams, then how much does the other piece weigh?

Upper Elementary:
Question: Benjamin and Jerry shared a brie and butter baguette for dinner. Benjamin ate 310 of the baguette, and Jerry ate 25 of it. The uneaten part of the baguette weighs 4 12 ounces. How many ounces of the baguette did Jerry eat?

Middle School:
Question: Dale orders a cup of coffee that costs $1.50 and a slice of cherry pie that costs $2.50 at the Double R Diner. If the sales tax is 6.5% and Dale tips $1.00, then how much money does he spend at the diner in total?

Algebra and Up:
Question: A large circular saw at the Packard Sawmill has a radius of 3 feet. The edge of the saw’s blade strikes the milled trees at a rate of 9,000 feet per minute. What is the rate at which the saw rotates in radians per minute?