Let's solve each of these multiplication problems step by step and identify the
"trick" problem that is *not* a multiplication problem.
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1) Sally shoots an arrow 50 yards. Flame shoots her arrow three times as far. How far did Flame’s arrow go?
- "Three times as far" means:
$ 50 \times 3 = 150 $ yards
✔ Multiplication
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2) How many days in 30 weeks?
- There are 7 days in a week, so:
$ 30 \times 7 = 210 $ days
✔ Multiplication
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3) A pencil costs 70¢. How much do 4 pencils cost?
- $ 70¢ \times 4 = 280¢ $ or $2.80
✔ Multiplication
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4) A baseball team has 9 players. In a tournament, there are 20 teams. How many players in total?
- $ 9 \times 20 = 180 $ players
✔ Multiplication
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5) Tyger uses bricks which are 4 cm tall to build a tower. His final tower is 30 bricks high. How many cm tall is it?
- $ 4 \text{ cm} \times 30 = 120 \text{ cm} $
✔ Multiplication
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6) There are 200 pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. How many pieces in 4 puzzles?
- $ 200 \times 4 = 800 $ pieces
✔ Multiplication
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7) Newton sees 50 frogs in the morning, and 7 fewer frogs in the afternoon. How many frogs did he see in total?
- Afternoon frogs: $ 50 - 7 = 43 $
- Total frogs: $ 50 + 43 = 93 $
This is
addition and subtraction, not multiplication.
✘ NOT a multiplication problem! ← This is the
trick problem
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8) A car travels at 60 miles per hour for 3 hours. How far has it travelled?
- Distance = Speed × Time
$ 60 \times 3 = 180 $ miles
✔ Multiplication
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✔ Final Answer:
The
trick problem is
#7, because it involves
subtraction and addition, not multiplication.
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🔍 Summary:
| Problem | Type | Is it multiplication? |
|--------|--------------|------------------------|
| 1 | Multiplication | Yes |
| 2 | Multiplication | Yes |
| 3 | Multiplication | Yes |
| 4 | Multiplication | Yes |
| 5 | Multiplication | Yes |
| 6 | Multiplication | Yes |
| 7 | Addition/Subtraction |
✘ No (Trick!) |
| 8 | Multiplication | Yes |
>
✔ Answer: The trick problem is
Problem #7 — it is not a multiplication problem.
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of multiplication word problems worksheet 4th.
