You're right to look for the “trick” problem — not all of these are true multiplication problems! Let’s solve each one and identify which is the trick.
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1) The cruising speed of a Boeing 747 is about 570 miles per hour. How far would it travel at this speed in 2 hours?
✔ Multiplication problem: Distance = Speed × Time
→ 570 × 2 =
1,140 miles
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2) A mile is about 1600 meters. How many meters in 2 miles?
✔ Multiplication problem:
→ 1600 × 2 =
3,200 meters
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3) Calculators come in boxes of 24. A school orders 5 boxes. How many calculators will the school get?
✔ Multiplication problem:
→ 24 × 5 =
120 calculators
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4) A sailfish can swim at a top speed of 68 miles per hour. How fast can 2 sailfish swim?
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TRICK PROBLEM! This is NOT a multiplication problem.
Why? Speed is a rate per individual. Two sailfish don’t swim *faster* just because there are two of them — they each still swim at 68 mph. You wouldn’t say “two cars going 60 mph go 120 mph together.” That doesn’t make sense.
➡️
Answer: Still 68 miles per hour (each one swims that fast).
This is the “trick” — it tries to trick you into multiplying 68 × 2, but that’s incorrect reasoning.
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5) There are about 80 words on a page of Captain’s Sea Stories book. If a chapter has 5 pages, about how many words are there in the chapter?
✔ Multiplication problem:
→ 80 × 5 =
400 words
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6) A pack of cards contains 52 cards. How many cards in 3 packs?
✔ Multiplication problem:
→ 52 × 3 =
156 cards
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7) A recordable DVD can record up to 2 hours. How many hours can a box of 48 DVDs record for?
✔ Multiplication problem:
→ 2 × 48 =
96 hours total recording time
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✔ Final Answer:
The trick problem is #4.
>
“A sailfish can swim at a top speed of 68 miles per hour. How fast can 2 sailfish swim?”
It’s not a multiplication problem because
speed doesn’t add or multiply when you have more individuals — each sailfish still swims at 68 mph. Multiplying would incorrectly suggest they swim faster together, which is nonsense.
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All other problems involve scaling quantities (distance, length, count, time) by a factor — classic multiplication scenarios.
✔ So, the answer to “Did you spot the trick problem?” is:
Yes — Problem #4!
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Let me know if you’d like to see visuals or further explanation!
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of multiplication problem solving worksheet.
