Word Problem Wednesday: Piranha Puzzle

Feb 13, 2020 | Dundas

Word Problem Wednesday: Piranha Puzzle

By Mathnasium | Added Feb 5, 2020

Practice elementary level math skills such as fractions and decimals with this fun word problem challenge.

If you’re looking for the best math tutors you should know that our Mathnasium instructors have a real appetite for math tutoring! Do you know what else has a real appetite? Piranhas! Today’s word problem challenge is all about piranhas, but don’t be afraid, math problem piranhas are the safest kind!

This fun word problem will give elementary level students the opportunity to practice skills such as fractions and decimals. Don’t be afraid to dip your toe in the water, take a look at the question below and see if you can work out the solution. 


Question: Luke says he saw a piranha that was 4¾ inches long. Howard says he saw a piranha that was 4.7 inches long. Who saw the bigger piranha?

Take your time and think it over. When you're ready, look below to compare your solution to ours.

 

Solution: One way to solve this problem is to write both measurements as decimals. Since ¼ is equal to 0.25, ¾ must be equal to 0.25 + 0.25 + 0.25 = 0.75. That means that a piranha that is 4¾ inches long is 4.75 inches long. Since 4.75 is greater than 4.7, Luke saw the bigger piranha.