# Fraction Word Problems (difficult)

Here are some examples of more difficult fraction word problems. We will illustrate how block models (tape diagrams) can be used to help you to visualize the fraction word problems in terms of the information given and the data that needs to be found.

Block modeling (also known as tape diagrams or bar models) are widely used in Singapore Math to help students visualize and understand math word problems.

Related Topics:
Singapore Math Word Problems, Math Word Problems, Algebra Word Problems

Example:

$$\frac{2}{9}$$ of the people on a restaurant are adults. If there are 95 more children than adults, how many children are there in the restaurant?

Solution:

Draw a diagram with 9 equal parts: 2 parts to represent the adults and 7 parts to represent the children.

5 units = 95

1 unit = 95 ÷ 5 = 19

7 units = 7 × 19 = 133

There are 133 children in the restaurant.

Example:

Gary and Henry brought an equal amount of money for shopping. Gary spent $95 and Henry spent$350. After that Henry had $$\frac{4}{7}$$ of what Gary had left. How much money did Gary have left after shopping?

Solution:

350 – 95 = 255

3 units = 255

1 unit = 255 ÷ 3 = 85

7 units = 85 × 7 = 595

Answer: Gary has \$595 after shopping.

Example:

$$\frac{1}{9}$$ of the shirts sold at Peter's shop are striped. $$\frac{5}{8}$$ of the remainder are printed. The rest of the shirts are plain colored shirts. If Peter's shop has 81 plain colored shirts, how many more printed shirts than plain colored shirts does the shop have?

Solution:

Draw a diagram with 9 parts. One part represents striped shirts. Out of the remaining 8 parts: 5 parts represent the printed shirts and 3 parts represent plain colored shirts.

3 units = 81

1 unit = 81 ÷ 3 = 27

Printed shirts have 2 parts more than plain shirts.

2 units = 27 × 2 = 54

Peter's shop has 54 more printed colored shirts than plain shirts.

#### Videos

Solve a problem involving fractions of fractions and fractions of remaining parts.
Example: $$\frac{1}{4}$$ of my trail mix recipe is raisins and the rest is nuts. $$\frac{3}{5}$$ of the nuts are peanuts and the rest are almonds. What fraction of my trail mix is almonds?

This video shows how to solve fraction word problem that involves addition, subtraction and multiplication using a tape diagram or block model.
Example: Jenny’s mom says she has an hour before it’s bedtime. Jenny spends $$\frac{3}{5}$$ of the hour texting a friend and $$\frac{3}{8}$$ of the remaining time brushing her teeth and putting on her pyjamas. She spends the rest of the time reading her book. How long did Jenny read?
This video shows how to solve a four step fraction word problem using tape diagrams.
Example: In an auditorium, $$\frac{1}{6}$$ of the students are fifth graders, $$\frac{1}{3}$$ are fourth graders, and $$\frac{1}{4}$$ of the remaining students are second graders. If there are 96 students in the auditorium, how many second graders are there?

Rotate to landscape screen format on a mobile phone or small tablet to use the Mathway widget, a free math problem solver that answers your questions with step-by-step explanations.

You can use the free Mathway widget below to practice Algebra or other math topics. Try the given examples, or type in your own problem and check your answer with the step-by-step explanations.