Decimal Word Problems (2-step)

Here are some examples of decimal word problems. We will illustrate how block diagrams can be used to help you to visualize the decimal word problems in terms of the information given and the data that needs to be found. Block diagrams are used in Singapore Math.

Example:

Lily used some cloth to make 4 banners and a tablecloth. She used 1.95 m of cloth for each banner and 1.24 m of cloth for the tablecloth. How many meters of cloth did she use altogether?

Solution:

Step 1: Find the total length of cloth used to make the 4 banners.

1.95 × 4 = 7.8

The total length of cloth used to make the 4 banners was 7.8 m.

Step 2: Find the total length of cloth Lily used altogether.

7.8 + 1.24 = 9.04

Lily used 9.04 m of cloth altogether.

Example:

Joe bought 7 liters of orange juice. He poured the orange juice equally into 5 bottles. There was 0.25 liters of orange juice left. What was the volume of juice in 1 bottle?

Solution:

Step 1: Find the total volume of orange juice in the 5 bottles.

7 – 0.25 = 6.75

The total volume of orange juice in the 5 bottles was 6.75 liters.

Step 2: Find the volume of orange juice in 1 bottle.

6.75 ÷ 5 = 1.35

The volume of orange juice in 1 bottle was 1.35 liters.

MultiStep Decimal Word Problems
Examples:

1. One day at the farmer’s market, a customer purchased a box of mangoes for $3.25 plus $.26 tax. If she uses $20, how much will she get back in change?
2. In an effort to save money for a car, Irving started walking to work instead of spending $1.25 for the bus each way to and from work. After 17 days of work, how much money has he saved?

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Decimal Word Problems
Example:
A piece of rope is 5 meters long. It is cut into 8 equal pieces. How long is each piece. Round your answer to the nearest hundredth.

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Decimal Word Problems
Example:
Micah can have have his bike fixed for $19.99, or he can buy a new part for his bike and replace it himself for $8.79. How much would he save by fixing the bike himself?

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How to Solve Multi-Step Word Problems Involving Decimals?
Examples:

1. The Gomez family drove to the beach for a vacation. They drove 2.5 hours at an average of 49 miles per hour, 1.25 hours at an average of 52 miles per hour, and 5 hours at an average speed of 38 miles per hour. How far did the Gomez family drive to get to the beach?
2. Darya and Kana are practicing for a race. During practice, Kana swam 11 laps with an average of 27.02 seconds per lap. Darya swam 12 laps, with an average of 20.5 seconds per lap. How much longer did it take Kana to swim 11 laps than Darya to swim 12 laps?
3. Last week during practice, Kamil swam 24 laps in 14.3 minutes. This week at swim practice, Kamil swam 22 laps in 14.8 minutes. What is the difference between the average lap time this week and last week? Write the answer in terms of minutes per lap.

Try the free Mathway calculator and problem solver below to practice various math topics. Try the given examples, or type in your own problem and check your answer with the step-by-step explanations.

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