Fraction word problems · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Solving fraction word problems

Mathematics · Fractions · ages 10-11
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. A pan holds 7/8 of a pizza. The family eats 1/4 of the whole pizza. How many eighths of the original pizza remain?

    Answer: ______________

  2. An empty jug receives 1/4 liter of juice, then 1/3 liter more. How much juice is in it?

    • 7/12 liter
    • 2/7 liter
    • 5/12 liter
    • 1/12 liter

  3. 1/3 + 1/4 is more than 1/2.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Tara ate 2/5 of a pizza and Sam ate 1/3. What operation finds how much they ate together?

    • Addition
    • Subtraction
    • Multiplication

  5. Tara ate 2/5 of a pizza (6/15) and Sam ate 1/3 (5/15). How many fifteenths did they eat together?

    Answer: ______________

  6. Which is the best estimate for 9/10 + 1/5?

    • About 1
    • About 1/2
    • About 2
    • About 3

  7. Without finding the exact sum, where is 2/5 + 1/4?

    • Above 1, beyond one whole
    • Below 1/2, near zero
    • Above 1/2 but below 1
    • Equal to 1/2 exactly

  8. Three friends eat separate parts of one cookie: 1/4, 1/3 and 1/8. How many twenty-fourths of the cookie do they eat in total?

    Answer: ______________

  9. Ben had 5/6 of a candy bar. He gave away 1/3 of a whole bar, which equals 2/6. How many sixths does Ben have left?

    Answer: ______________

  10. Jay computed 2/5 + 1/2 by adding straight across and got 3/7. What was his mistake?

    • He added the tops and the bottoms.
    • He forgot to simplify his final fraction.
    • He subtracted the tops instead of adding them.
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Solving fraction word problems W1-mt_e7filQgayF-s1

  1. 5 · A quarter is two eighths. Removing two from seven leaves five eighths.
  2. 7/12 liter · Three twelfths and four twelfths make seven twelfths of a liter.
  3. True · One third exceeds one quarter. Replacing one of two quarters with a third makes their total exceed half.
  4. Addition · The question asks for the total of two known, separate amounts of the same pizza. Add those amounts.
  5. 11 · 6/15 + 5/15 = 11/15, so together they ate 11 fifteenths of the pizza.
  6. About 1 · Nine tenths are one tenth short of a whole. Adding two tenths takes the total just one tenth above one, so about one is a good estimate.
  7. Above 1/2 but below 1 · 2/5 exceeds 1/4, so the sum exceeds two quarters. Both addends are below 1/2, so the sum is below 1.
  8. 17 · The amounts are 6/24, 8/24 and 3/24. Their numerators total 17.
  9. 3 · 5/6 - 2/6 = 3/6, so 3 sixths of the candy bar are left.
  10. He added the tops and the bottoms. · He needed a common denominator, like 10, first: 4/10 + 5/10 = 9/10, not 3/7.
Worksheet · LightMySky