Let's solve the word problem step by step.
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Word Problem:
> Nala got 12 rulers for her birthday. Then Nala’s sister asked Nala to share equally with her. The next day, Nala’s friend gave her 3 times more of the rulers than she had before. After that, her brother asked for 5 rulers from her. How many rulers does she have left?
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Step 1: Initial number of rulers
Nala starts with
12 rulers.
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Step 2: Sharing equally with her sister
She shares
equally with her sister. That means she gives half to her sister.
So:
- Half of 12 = $ \frac{12}{2} = 6 $
- She gives 6 rulers to her sister.
- So now, Nala has
6 rulers left.
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Step 3: Friend gives her 3 times more than she has now
Now Nala has
6 rulers.
Her friend gives her
3 times more than she currently has.
"3 times more" means:
$ 3 \times 6 = 18 $
additional rulers.
So, she receives 18 more rulers.
Total rulers now:
$ 6 + 18 = 24 $
>
✔ Note: "3 times more" is often interpreted as
adding three times the current amount, so it's not just multiplying by 3, but adding 3× to original.
But sometimes people confuse this with "3 times as many". Let's clarify:
- "3 times as many" = $ 3 \times 6 = 18 $
- "3 times more" = $ 6 + (3 \times 6) = 6 + 18 = 24 $
So yes, after receiving 3 times more, she has
24 rulers.
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Step 4: Brother asks for 5 rulers
Her brother takes 5 rulers.
So subtract 5:
$ 24 - 5 = 19 $
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✔ Final Answer:
Nala has 19 rulers left.
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Summary of Steps:
1. Starts with 12
2. Shares with sister → 12 ÷ 2 = 6 left
3. Friend gives 3 times more → 3 × 6 = 18 added → 6 + 18 = 24
4. Brother takes 5 → 24 − 5 =
19
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Answer: 19 rulers ✔
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of pemdas word problem worksheet.
