Click here [1] for the Problem Extension Worksheet version of the Problems of the Week.
Click here [2] for an MS Word version of the Problems of the Week.
Click here [3] for the Canadian Problem Extension Worksheet version of the Problems of the Week.
Click here [4] for a Canadian MS Word version of the Problems of the Week.
Lower Elementary:
Question: Morgan’s scout troop is having a pizza party. They order 2 each of 3 varieties of pizza, then cut each pizza into 8 slices. How many slices of pizza does Morgan’s scout troop have?
Answer: 48 slices
Solution: Morgan orders 2 × 3 = 6 pizzas. If each pizza is cut into 8 slices, that’s 6 × 8 = 48 slices total.
Upper Elementary:
Question: : Lily orders a pizza with black olives on top and cuts it into 4 slices. The first slice has 6 olives. The second slice has 11 olives. The third slice has 7 olives. The last slice has the average number of olives of all the slices. How many olives are on the last slice?
Answer: 8 olives
Solution: To find the average number of olives on the first three slices, first we add 6 + 11 + 7 = 24 olives, then we divide by the 3 slices. That’s an average of 24 ÷ 3 = 8 olives. If we add a slice with 8 olives, that’s a total of 24 + 8 = 32 olives. The average of the 4 slices is still 32 ÷ 4 = 8 olives.
Middle School:
Question: Jessie orders a pizza that costs her $14.50. She tips the pizza delivery person 15% and rounds up to the next dollar. By how much did she round her tip? (Jessie lives in Delaware, where pizza isn’t taxed.)
Answer: 82¢
Solution: To find a 15% tip, we multiply: 14.50 × 0.15 = 2.175, which rounds to $2.18. If we round up to the next dollar, we get $3.00, which is 3.00 – 2.18 = .82 or 82¢ more.
Algebra & Up:
Question: Jack and his family are having a pizza for dinner that weighs 2 pounds. Jack takes a 40° slice. How much does the remaining pizza weigh?
Answer: 17/9 pounds or about 1.78 pounds
Solution: After Jack takes a 40° slice, there are 320° of pizza left. That’s 320 ÷ 360 = 8/9 of the pizza, and 8/9 of 2 pounds is 17/9 pounds of pizza.