Math Problem of the Week - Upper Elementary - July 4, 2021 to July 10, 2021

Upper Elementary: 

Question: Matthew learns in history class that the first presidential election in the United States happened in 1789, the second happened in 1792, and the rest have happened every 4 years since then. The most recent election was in 2016. How many presidential elections have happened in the United States in total? 

Answer: 58 presidential elections

Solution: First, we subtract 1792 from 2016 to find that it’s been 224 years since the second presidential election. Next, we divide 224 by 4 to find that there have been 56 election cycles since 1792. Finally, we add 2 elections for the 1st and 2nd presidential elections that we haven’t counted so far for a total of 58 presidential elections.