Division Word Problems (2-step word problems)
Here are some examples of division word problems that can be solved in two steps. We will illustrate how block diagrams or tape diagrams can be used to help you to visualize the division word problems in terms of the information given and the data that needs to be found. We also learn how to solve multiplication and division word problems by identifying key terms.
Related Pages
1-Step Division Word Problems
Multiplication and Division Word Problems
More Word Problems
More Singapore Math Lessons
Block diagrams are used in Singapore Math and tape diagrams are used in the Common Core Math.
We use division or multiplication when the problem involves equal parts of a whole. Sometimes, the problem involves comparison and it becomes a 2-step problem. The following diagram shows how to use equal parts of a whole and comparison. Scroll down the page for examples and solutions.
Example:
Marcus had 700 marbles. He gave away 175 marbles and put the remaining marbles equally into 5 bags.
How many marbles were there in each bag?
Solution:
Step 1: Find how many marbles he had left.
700 – 175 = 525
He had 525 marbles left.
Step 2: Find the number of marbles in each box.
525 ÷ 5 = 105
There were 105 marbles in each box.
Example:
Rosalind made 364 donuts. She put 8 donuts into each box.
a) How many boxes of donuts were there? How many donuts were left over?
b) If she sold each box for $3, how much money would she receive?
Solution:
Step 1: Find the number of boxes of donuts.
364 ÷ 8 = 45 remainder 4
There were 45 boxes of donuts.
4 donuts were left over.
Step 2: Find how much money she would receive.
45 × 3 = 135
She would receive $135.
How to solve a 2-step division word problem using multiple tape diagrams?
Example:
Ben is making math manipulatives to sell. He needs to make at least $450. Each manipulative costs $18 to make. He is selling them for $30 each. What is the minimum number he can sell to reach his goal?
How to use tape diagrams to solve fractional division problems?
Basic algorithms and checks are also demonstrated.
Example:
When someone donated 14 gallons of paint to Rosendale Elementary School, the fifth grade decided to use it to paint murals. They split the gallons equally among the four classes.
a) How much paint did each class have to paint their mural?
b) How much pain will three classes use? Show your thinking using words, numbers, or pictures.
c) If 4 students share a 30 square foot wall equally, how many square feet of the wall will be painted by each student?
How to solve division word problems using the Algebra method and the Singapore Math method?
Example:
Jeremy bought 8 identical pens and 5 identical notebooks. The cost of 8 pens is the same as the cost of 5 notebooks. Each notebook costs 30 cents more than each pen. How much did Jeremy spend altogether?
How to solve a multiplication and division 2-step problem?
Using the comparison model, this video teaches how to approach a given 2-step problem on multiplication and division, and shows the detailed steps of how to solve it.
Example:
Billy bought 5 bags of balls. Each bag contained 40 balls. He packed the balls into packets of 8 balls each. How many packets did he get?
How to solve a subtraction and division 2-step problem?
Using the comparison model, this video teaches how to approach a given 2-step problem on subtraction and division, and shows the detailed steps of how to solve it.
Example:
A boy collects a total of 316 stamps, stickers and coins. He collects 4 times as many stamps as stickers. There are 46 coins. How many stickers are there?
How to solve a division and fraction word problem visually?
Example:
Mimi’s market sold 24 heads of lettuce one morning. That afternoon 2/7 of the remaining heads of lettuce were sold. The number of heads left was now 1/2 of the number the market had at the beginning of the day. How many heads of lettuce were there at the beginning of the day?
How to solve a part whole division word problems using bar models?
Tips for Bar Modeling Division Problems
- Show units by dividing one long unit bar into its parts.
- If the question asks for the value of one of the parts of a unit bar, write your question mark right inside that section of the unit bar.
Examples:
- 28 playing cards are arranged equally in 4 rows. How many playing cards are there in each row?
- If 18 cookies are arranged equally in 6 piles. How many cookies are there in each pile?
- A woman divided her lottery winnings of $92,000 into 8 equal parts. She gave 4 portions to her husband, 1 portion to her daughter, and divided the rest equally among three charities. How much more money did the husband receive than the daughter?
- Tralise has a library that she does not want to keep because she prefers digital books, so she divided to give her books away. She divided her collection of 1200 books into 10 equal parts. She gave 3 portions to her sister, 4 portions to her best friend, and the rest equally to three nieces. How many books did her best friend receive?
- Oscar had 3 times as many cookies as Zoe. After Oscar ate 50 cookies, he had half as many cookies as Zoe. How many cookies did Oscar have left?
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