2-Step Word Problems and Bar Models

Bar models are visual tools that help break down word problems into smaller, understandable parts. They are particularly useful for elementary and middle school students but can be applied to various levels.

The following diagrams show the Part-Part-Whole Models and Comparison Models. Scroll down the page for examples and solutions.

• Word Problems Worksheets

  Weight Word Problems
  Liquid Volume Word Problems
  Measurement Word Problems
  

  Words to Equations (Multiply/Divide)
  2-Step Word Problems (Multiply/Divide)
  2-Step Word Problems (Multiply/Divide/Add/Subtract)
  

Types of Bar Models:
Part-Whole Model: This model is used when a whole amount is divided into two or more parts.
Comparison Model: This model is used to compare two or more quantities.
Equal Parts Model: This model is used for problems involving multiplication and division where there are equal groups.

Steps to Solve Word Problems with Bar Models:

1. Read and Understand the Problem:
   Carefully read the word problem to understand what is being asked.
   Identify the key information and the unknown quantity.
   
2. Choose the Right Bar Model:
   Decide whether the problem involves parts of a whole, a comparison between quantities, or equal groups.
   
3. Draw the Bar Model:
   Represent the whole or the quantities with rectangular bars.
   Divide the bars into parts according to the information given in the problem.
   Label the known quantities and use a question mark for the unknown.
   
4. Determine the Operation:
   Based on the bar model, decide which operation (addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division) is needed to find the unknown quantity.
   
5. Solve the Problem:
   Perform the operation using the known quantities.
   
6. Write the Answer:
   State the answer with the correct units.
   

Singapore Math: Grade 3a Unit 2
Some 2-step word problems.
Examples:

1. Jamie picked 17 flowers and Lindsey picked 12. They gave away 20 of the flowers. How many flowers were left?
2. 125 children took part in a mathematics competition. 54 of them were girls. How many more boys than girls were there?
3. Ali collected 137 stamps. He collected 27 stamps less than his sister. How many stamps did they collect altogether?

• Show Video Lesson

Singapore Math: Grade 3
How to solve a simple 2 step word problem using Bar Models?
Example:
A washing machine costs $700, It costs $800 less than a refrigerator. Find the total cost of the two items?

• Show Video Lesson

Two-Step word problems
Example:
50 children attended the birthday party. 13 children left during the first hour. 9 children came in during the second hour.
How many children were at the birthday party then?

• Show Video Lesson

Singapore Math: Grade 3 - 2 Step Basic Word Problems
This presentation shows how bar models are used for simple word problems.
Examples:

1. 30 apples were harvested from a plantation. 5 were rotten. How many good apples were there?
2. At a fruit store, there were 250 oranges. If 100 were small oranges, how many big oranges were there?
3. Shop A sold 50 shirts in January. Shop B sold 25 more than shop A in the same month. How many shirts did they sell altogether?
4. At Clara’s art exhibition, 120 visitors came on the first day. 20 fewer visitors came on the second day. How many visitors came to the exhibition on the two days?

4th Grade Word Problems and Bar Models
Example:
Dad bought two hammers. One cost $18, the other cost $28 more. What was his total bill?

• Show Video Lesson

Example:
Kim has 78 boxes of apples and 130 boxes of oranges. She sells some boxes of oranges.
Now she has 159 boxes of apples and oranges left.
a) How many boxes did she have at first?
b) How many boxes of oranges did she sell?

• Show Video Lesson

Bar Models: Solving Word Problems (Singapore Math 5A)

Example:
Rowan and Emma each had an equal number of popsicles.
After Rowan ate 25 popsicles and Emma ate 31 popsicles,
Rowan had twice as many as Emma. How many popsicles did they each have at first?

• Show Video Lesson

Bar Models: Solving Word Problems (Singapore Math 5A)

Example:
In a basketball game, Marc, Jackson, and Cole scored 106 points altogether. Marc scored 15 more points than Jackson. Jackson scored 7 fewer than Cole. How many points did Cole score?

• Show Video Lesson

Bar Models: Solving Word Problems (Singapore Math 5A)

Example:
Peter bought 32 chocolate bars at 4 for $3. He ate 2two of them and sold the rest at 3 for $4. How much money did he earn?

• Show Video Lesson

Try out our new and fun Fraction Concoction Game.

Add and subtract fractions to make exciting fraction concoctions following a recipe. There are four levels of difficulty: Easy, medium, hard and insane. Practice the basics of fraction addition and subtraction or challenge yourself with the insane level.

We welcome your feedback, comments and questions about this site or page. Please submit your feedback or enquiries via our Feedback page.