Mathematics Navigator

A Sample of Mathematics
Misconceptions and Errors
(Grades 2-8)

Introduction

Introduction
Students bring prior knowledge of mathematical concepts to class, and research shows that
working with that prior knowledge can lead to deeper understanding and long-term learning
(Askew, 2002). Research has shown that teaching becomes more effective when common
mistakes and misconceptions are systematically exposed (Swan, 2005). Alan Bell suggests that
when students face a challenge to their cognitive structure, they are much more willing to
stretch themselves intellectually. Conceptual gains realized in this manner promote transfer
from the immediate topic to wider situations (Bell, 2006). Alan Bell (2005) argues that without
exposure of pupils misconceptions and their resolution through conflict discussion, students
may not know why a mistake occurred. Mathematics interventions should use a subtle
process to expose flawed thinking and allow students to confront their own misconceptions
and, consequently, discover for themselves the source of their mistakes (Bell, 2005; Bell & Swan
2006; Donovan & Bransford, 2005).
Mathematics Navigator places an emphasis on prior knowledge and revising misconceptions.
This document contains some of the misconceptions that are the focus of Mathematics
Navigator.
Table of Contents
Place Value .......................................................................................................................... 1
Addition and Subtraction ................................................................................................ 5
Multiplication and Division ............................................................................................ 8
Fractions ........................................................................................................................... 14
Decimals ........................................................................................................................... 22
Measurement ................................................................................................................... 25
Percents . ........................................................................................................................... 30
Functions and Graphs .................................................................................................... 31
Expressions and Equations . .......................................................................................... 33

Askew, M. (2002). The changing primary mathematics classroomthe challenge of the National Numeracy
Strategy. In L. Haggerty (Ed.), Aspects of Teaching Secondary Mathematics: Perspectives on Practice. London:
Routledge Falmer.
Bell, A. (2005). Introduce Diagnostic Teaching. Alan Bell and the Toolkit Team. A Strategy in the Toolkit for Change
Agents. MARS, Michigan State University.
Bell, A., & Swan, M. (2006). Mathematics Assessment Resource Service (MARS Project). Collaborative project with
Michigan State University, Funded by the National Science Foundation. Washington, DC.
Donovan, M.S., & Bransford, J.D. (Eds.). (2005). How Students Learn: History, Mathematics, and Science in the
Classroom. Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: National
Academy Press.
Swan, M. (2005). Improving Learning in Mathematics: Challenges and Strategies (Standards Unit). Department for
Education and Skills Standards Unit. University of Nottingham.
Mathematics Navigator

iii

Place Value

Place Value
1. When counting tens and ones (or hundreds, tens, and ones), students misapply the
procedure for counting on and treats tens and ones (or hundreds, tens, and ones) as
separate numbers.

Example
When asked to count collections of bundled tens and ones, such as |||,
students count 10, 20, 30, 1, 2, instead of 10, 20, 30, 31, 32.

2. Students have an alternative conception of multidigit numbers and see them as numbers
independent of place value.

Example
Students read the number 32 as thirty-two and count out 32 objects to
demonstrate the value of the number, but when asked to write the number in
expanded form, they write 3 + 2.
Students read the number 32 as thirty-two and count out 32 objects to
demonstrate the value of the number, but when asked the value of the digits
in the number, they respond that the values are 3 and 2.

3. Students recognize simple multidigit numbers, such as thirty (30) or 400 (four hundred), but
they do not understand that the position of a digit determines its value.

Example
Students mistake the numeral 306 for thirty-six.
Students write 4008 when asked to record four hundred eight.

Example
When asked the value of the digit 8 in the number 18,342,092, students
respond with 8 or one million instead of eight million.

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Misconceptions and Errors

4. Students misapply the rule for reading numbers from left to right.

Example
Student reads 81 as eighteen.

5. Students order numbers based on the value of the digits, instead of place value.

Example
69 > 102, because 6 and 9 are bigger than 1 and 2.

6. Students undergeneralize results of multiplication by powers of 10 and do not understand

that shifting digits to higher place values is like multiplying by powers of 10.

Example
When asked to solve a problem like ? 36 = 3600, students either divide or
cannot respond.
7. Students have limited understanding of numbers to one or two representations.

Example
Students may be able to read and write the number 4,302,870 in standard form
but the do not link this number to a representation using tally marks in a place
value chart or to expanded form.
8. Students apply the alternate conception Write the numbers you hear when writing
numbers in standard form when given the number in words.

Example
When asked to write the number five hundred eleven thousand in standard
form, students writes 500,11,000 with or without commas.

Example
When asked to write the number sixty-two hundredths, students write 62.00
or 6200.

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Misconceptions and errors

Place Value
9. Students misapply the rule for rounding down and actually lower the value of the digit in
the designated place.

Example
When asked to round to the nearest ten thousand, students round the
number 762, 398 to 750,000 or 752,398.

Example
When asked to round to the nearest tenth, students round the number 62.31
to 62.2 or 62.21.
10. Students misapply the rule for rounding up and change the digit in the designated place
while leaving digits in smaller places as they are.

Example
Students round 127,884 to 128,884 (nearest thousand).

Example
Students round 62.38 to 62.48 (nearest tenth).
11. Students overgeneralize that the comma in a number means say thousands or
new number.

Example
Students read the number 3,450,207 as three thousand four hundred fifty
thousand two hundred seven.

Example
Students read the number 3,450,207 as three, four hundred fifty, two
hundred seven.

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Misconceptions and Errors

12. Students lack the concept that 10 in any position (place) makes one (group) in the next
position and vice versa.

Example
If shown a collection of 12 hundreds, 2 tens, and 13 ones, students write 12213,
possibly squeezing the 2 and the 13 together or separating the three numbers
with some space.

Example
0.72 + 0.72 = 0.144

32,871
+ 9,324
or 3 11,119 5 or 3, 1 1 1, 195

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Misconceptions and errors

Addition and Subtraction

Addition and Subtraction

1. Students have overspecialized their knowledge of addition or subtraction facts and restrict
it to fact tests or one particular problem format.

Example
Students complete addition or subtraction facts assessments satisfactorily
but do not apply the knowledge to other arithmetic and problem-solving
situations.

2. Students may know the commutative property of addition but fail to apply it to simplify the
work of addition or misapply it in subtraction situations.

Example
Students state that 9 + 4 = 13 with relative ease, but struggle to find the sum of
4 + 9.
Students write (or say) 12 50 when they means 50 12.

3. Students think that subtraction is commutative.

Example
53=35

4. Students may know the associative property of addition but fail to apply it to simplify the
work of addition.

Example
Students labor to find the sum of three or more numbers, such as 4 + 7 + 6,
using a rote procedure, because they fail to recognize that it is much easier to
add the numbers in a different order.

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Misconceptions and Errors

5. Students try to overgeneralize immature addition or subtraction methods, instead of
developing more effective methods.

Example
Students may have learned the early childhood method of recount all
and stopped there. When the numbers get too big to recount, students have
nothing else to draw on.

6. Students may be unable to generalize methods that they already know for addition and
subtraction to a new situation.

Example
Students may be perfectly comfortable with addition facts, such as 6 + 7, but
do not know how to extend this fact knowledge to a problem, such as 16 + 7.

7. Students have overspecialized during the learning process so that they recognize some
addition and/or subtraction situations as addition or subtraction but fail to classify other
situations appropriately.

Example
Students recognize that if there are 7 birds in a bush and 3 fly away, you can
subtract to find out how many are left.
However, students may be unable to solve a problem that involves the
comparison of two amounts or the missing part of a whole.

8. Students know how to add but do not know when to add (other than because they are told to
do so, or because the computation was written as an addition problem).

Example
Students cannot explain why they should add or connect addition to actions
with materials.

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Misconceptions and errors

Addition and Subtraction

9. Students can solve problems as long as they fit one of the following formulas.

a + b = ?
a
b a = ?
b
a

b

+c
Students have over-restricted the definition of addition and/or subtraction.

Example
Given any other situation, students respond, You cant do it, or resort
to guess and check.

10. Students see addition and subtraction as discrete and separate operations. Their conception
of the operations does not include the fact that they are linked as inverse operations.

Example
Students have difficulty mastering subtraction facts because they do not link
them to addition facts. Students may know that 6 + 7 = 13 but fail to realize
that this fact also tells them that 13 7 = 6.
Students can add 36 + 16 = 52 but cannot use addition to help estimate a
difference, such as 52 36, or check the difference once it has been computed.

11. When adding or subtracting, students misapply the procedure for regrouping.

Example
1 1 1 1

63,842
+ 24,036
98,888
12. When subtracting, students overgeneralize from previous learning and subtract the
smaller number from the larger one digit by digit.

Example
62,483
58,575
16,112

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Misconceptions and Errors

Multiplication and Division

1. Students have overspecialized their knowledge of multiplication or division facts and have
restricted it to fact tests or one particular problem format.

Example
Students complete multiplication or division facts assessments satisfactorily
but do not apply the knowledge to other arithmetic and problem-solving
situations.

2. Students may know the commutative property of multiplication but fail to apply it to
simplify the work of multiplication.

Example
Students state that 9 4 = 36 with relative ease, but struggle to find the
product of 4 9.

3. Students may know the associative property of multiplication but fail to apply it to simplify
the work of multiplication.

Example
Students labor to find the product of three or more numbers, such as
8 13 5, , because they fail to recognize that it is much easier to multiply
the numbers in a different order.

4. Students see multiplication and division as discrete and separate operations. Their
conception of the operations does not include the fact that they are linked as inverse
operations.

Example
Students have reasonable facility with multiplication facts but cannot master
division facts. They may know that 6 7 = 42 but fail to realize that this fact
also tells them that 42 7 = 6.
Students know procedures for dividing but have no idea how to check the
reasonableness of their answers.

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Misconceptions and errors

Multiplication and Division

5. Students have overspecialized during the learning process so that they recognize some
multiplication and/or division situations as multiplication or division yet fail to classify
others appropriately.

Example
Students recognize that a problem in which 4 children share 24 grapes
is a division situation but state that a problem in which 24 cherries are
distributed to children by giving 3 cherries to each child is not.

Example
Students recognize groups of problems as multiplication but do not
know how to solve scale, rate, or combination problems.

6. Students know how to multiply but do not know when to multiply (other than because they
are told to do so, or because the computation was written as a multiplication problem).

Example
Students cannot explain why they should multiply or connect multiplication
to actions with materials.

7. Students know how to divide but do not know when to divide (other than because they are
told to do so, or because the computation was written as a division problem).

Example
Students cannot explain why they should divide or connect division to actions
with materials.

8. Students do not understand the distributive property and do not know how to apply it to
simplify the work of multiplication.

Example
Students have reasonable facility with multiplication facts but cannot multiply
12 8 or 23 6.

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Misconceptions and Errors

9. Students apply a procedure that results in remainders that are expressed as R# or
remainder # for all situations, even those for which such a result does not make sense.

Example
When asked to solve the following problem, students respond with an answer
of 10 R2 canoes, even though this makes no sense.
There are 32 students attending the class canoe trip. They plan to have
3 students in each canoe.
How many canoes will they need so that everyone can participate?

10. Students undergeneralize the results of multiplication by powers of 10. To find products like
3 50 = 150 or 30 50 = 1,500, students must work the product out using a long method
of computation.

Example
300
500
000
0000
+ 150000
150000

11. Students generalize what they have learned about single-digit multiplication and apply
it to multidigit multiplication by multiplying each column as a separate single-digit
multiplication.

Example
34
62
188

10 |

Misconceptions and errors

128
71
848

Multiplication and Division

12. Students can state and give examples of properties of multiplication but do not apply them
to simplify computations.

Example
Students multiply 6 12 with relative ease but struggle to find the
product 12 6.
or
Students labor to find the product 12 15 because they do not realize
that they could instead perform the equivalent but much easier
computation, 6 30.
or
Students have reasonable facility with multiplication facts but cannot
multiply 6 23.

13. Students misapply the procedure for multiplying multidigit numbers by ignoring
place value.

Example
Students multiply correctly by ones digit but ignore the fact that the 3 in the
tens place means 30.
60
38
480
+ 180
660
Students multiply each digit as if it represented a number of ones. Students
ignore place value completely.
47
52
14
8
35
+ 20
77

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11

Misconceptions and Errors

14. Students misapply the procedure for regrouping.

The first step (multiplying by ones) is done correctly, but the same numbers are used for
regrouping again when multiplying by 10s whether it is appropriate or not.

Example
3

37
65
185
+ 2120
2305

1 4

128
75
640
+ 8860
9500

15. Students overgeneralize the procedure learned for addition and apply it to multidigit
multiplication inappropriately.

Original process for addition: When performing addition with regrouping, students first
add the amount that is regrouped to the appropriate amount in the topmost addend and
then continue by adding the remaining amounts in that place value column.

Inappropriate generalization: When performing multiplication, students first add the

amount that is regrouped to the amount in the multiplicand and then multiply (instead
of multiplying first and then adding the amount that was regrouped).

Example
Students regroup the 4 tens. They then add 4 to 0 to get 4 and multiply that by
8 (4 8) to get 32, instead of multiplying 8 0 and then adding the 4, to get 4.
3 4

206
18
4028
+ 2060
6088
16. Students think that division is commutative.

Example
53=35

12 |

Misconceptions and errors

Multiplication and Division

17. Students think that dividing always gives a smaller number.
18. Students think that multiplying always gives a larger number.
19. Students think that they should always divide the larger number into the smaller.

Example
48=2

20. Students think that the operation that needs to be performed (+, , , ) is defined by the
numbers in theproblem.

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Misconceptions and Errors

Fractions
1. Students have restricted the definition of fractional parts on the ruler so that they think
that an inch is the specific distance from 0 to 1 and do not understand that an inch unit of
length is an inch, anywhere on the ruler.

Example

inches

1
Students say that the line segment is 3 " or that you cannot tell how long
2
the green bar is.

2. Students write fraction as part/part instead of part/whole.

Example

Students say that

3
are shaded.
5

3. Students do not understand that when finding fractions of amounts, lengths, or areas, the
parts need to be equal in size.

Example

Students say that

14 |

Misconceptions and errors

1
of the square is shaded.
4

Fractions
4. Students think that when finding fractions using area models, the equal-sized pieces must
look the same.

Example

 tudents say this diagram does not show fourths of the area
S
of the square because the pieces are not the same (shape).

5. Students do not understand that fractions are numbers as well as portions of a whole.

Example
Students recognize

1
in situations like these
2

one-half of the area is shaded

one-half of the circles are shaded

1
but cannot locate the number on a number line, or say that one-half is
2
not a number, it is a part.

6. Students think that mixed numbers are larger than improper fractions because mixed
numbers contain a whole number part and whole numbers are larger than fractions.

Example
Students say that 1

4
9
> because whole numbers are larger than fractions.
5
5

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15

Misconceptions and Errors

7. Students are confused about the whole in complex situations.

Example
3
1
of her homework time doing math. She still has hour of
4
2
homework left to do. What is the total time Anna planned for homework?
Anna spent

When looking at this problem, students can easily become confused about
the whole. Is the whole the total time Anna planned for homework, or is the
whole one hour?

8. Students have restricted their definitions and think fractions have to be less than 1.

Example
When confronted with an improper fraction, students say it is not a fraction
because in a fraction the numerator is always less than the denominator.

9. Students count pieces without concern for whole.

Example
6
 tudents say that
S
of a circle
30
is shaded.

Example
When asked to measure the line segment to the nearest

inches

students say that the line segment is

16 |

Misconceptions and errors

1
inch,
8

3
10
inches in length.
8

Fractions
1
s (for example) are equal. Students do not
4
understand that the size of the whole determines the size of the fractional part.

10. Students overgeneralize and think that all

Example
Amir and Tamika both went for hikes. Amir hiked 2 miles and Tamika hiked
8 miles.
1
Students think that when both people had completed of their hikes, they
1
1 4
have each walked the same distance because = .
4
4
11. Students have restricted their definition of fractions to one type of situation or model, such
as part/whole with pieces.

Example
Students do not recognize fractions as points on a number line or as
division calculations.
12. Students overgeneralize from experiences with fractions of amounts, lengths, or areas and
think that when dealing with a fraction of a set, parts always have to be equal in size.

Example
What fraction of the squares is shaded?

Students say, This is not a fraction because the parts are not equal.

Example

2
When given this diagram as one of several possible choices for ,
5
2
students fail to identify the example as .
5

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17

Misconceptions and Errors

13. Students overgeneralize fraction notation or decimal notation and confuse the two.

Example
1
1
= 1.4 or = 0.4
4
4
14. Students misapply rules for comparing whole numbers in fraction situations.

Example
1
1
is bigger than because 8 is bigger than 6.
8
6
15. Students overgeneralize the idea that the bigger the denominator, the smaller the part by
ignoring numerators when they compare fractions.

Example
1
3
> because fourths are greater than fifths.
4
5
16. Students interpret fractions inappropriately and do not understand that different fractions
can name the same amount and are equivalent.

Example
2
4
and cannot name the same amount because they are different fractions.
3
6
17. Students misapply additive ideas when finding equivalent fractions.

Example
3
4
= because 3 + 1 = 4 and 8 + 1 = 9
8
9
18. When adding two fractions, students add the numerators and multiply the denominators.

Example
3
1
4
+ =
5
2
10

18 |

Misconceptions and errors

Fractions
19. Students overgeneralize results of previous experiences with fractions and associate a
specific number with each numerator or denominator when simplifying fractions.

Example
Prime numbers like 2, 3, or 5 always become 1 when you simplify and
even numbers are always changed to one-half of their value. Using
rules like this the student gets correct answers some of the time, like

but not all the time.

2
1
4
2
= and = ,
8
4
6
3

Students ignore the fact that some of the fractions are already in
simplest form.
20 When adding fractions, students generalize the procedure for multiplication of fractions by
adding the numerators and adding the denominators.
..

Example
1
1
2
+ =
4
4
8
Note that this error can also be caused by the alternative conception
that fractions are just two whole numbers that can be treated separately.
21. Students do not use benchmark numbers like 0,

1
, and 1 to compare fractions because they
2

have restricted their understanding of fractions to part-whole situations and do not think of
the fractions as numbers.

Example

7
5
and
students cannot
12
13
do so, start cutting fraction pieces, resort to guessing, or perform difficult
computations (to find the decimal equivalents or common denominators)
instead of comparing both numbers to one-half.
When asked to compare two fractions like

22. Students think that dividing by one-half is the same as dividing in half.

Example
4

1
=2
2

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19

Misconceptions and Errors

23. When dividing a fraction by a whole number, students divide the denominator by thewhole
number .

Example
1
1
2=
26
13
24. Students confuse which number is divided into
or multiplied by which. Students divide the second number by the first.

Example
1
1
1
=
4
8
2
25. When multiplying a fraction by a fraction, students divide both the numerator and the
denominator of one fraction by the denominator of the other.

Example
1
4
2

=
2
6
3
26. Students use the numerator and ignore the denominator.

Example
When asked to find

2
of 9 objects, students find 2 objects out of 9.
3

27. Students think that the denominator is always the number of objects, even if the fraction
has been reduced.

Example
Students read

3
3
of 8 objects as .
4
8

28. When writing a fraction, students compare two parts to each other rather than comparing
one part to thewhole.

20 |

Misconceptions and errors

Fractions
29. Students think that decimals are bigger than fractions because fractions are really small
things.
30. Students think that you cannot convert a fraction to a decimalthat they can not be
compared.
31. Students think that doubling the size of the denominator doubles the size of the fraction.
32. Students think that multiplying the numerator and the denominator by the same number
increases the value of the fraction.
33. Students think that dividing the numerator and the denominator by the same number
reduces the value of the fraction.
34. When subtracting mixed numbers, students always subtract the smaller whole number
from the larger whole number or subtract the smaller fraction from the larger fraction.
35. When multiplying fractions, students multiply the numerator of the first fraction by the
denominator of the second, and add the product of the denominator of the first and the
numerator of the second.

Example
3
5
= (3 7) + (4 5) = 41
4
7

36. When multiplying fractions, students use the invert and multiply procedure by inverting
the second fraction and multiplying.

Example
3
5
3
7
21
=
=
4
7
4
5
20

37. When dividing fractions, students divide the numerators and divide the denominators.

Example
6
2
3
=
7
7
1

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21

Misconceptions and Errors

Decimals
1. Students misapply knowledge of whole numbers when reading decimals and ignore the
decimal point.

Example
Students read the number 45.7 as, four fifty-seven or four hundred
fifty-seven.
2. Students misapply the procedure for rounding whole numbers when rounding decimals.
Students round to the nearest ten instead of the nearest tenth, etc.

Example
Round 3045.26 to the nearest tenth. Students respond, 3050 or 3050.26
3. Students misapply rules for comparing whole numbers in decimal situations.

Example
0.058 > 0.21 because 58 > 21
2.04 > 2.5 because it has more digits
4. Students read the marks on the ruler as whole numbers.
5. Students mix decimals and fractions when reading decimal numbers.
6. Students think that a decimal is just two ordinary numbers separated by a dot.

Example
The decimal point in money separates the dollars from the cents.

100 cents is $0.100.

Example

The decimal point is used to separate units of measure. 6 meters is

1meter 6centimeters.

7. When adding a sequence, students add the decimal part separately from the whole number
part.

Example
0.50, 0.75, 0.100 rather than 0.50, 0.75, 1.00

22 |

Misconceptions and errors

Decimals
8. Students verbalize decimals as whole numbers without the place value designated.

Example
point ten instead of point one zero
point twenty-five instead of twenty-five hundredths or pointtwo five
9. Students add or subtract without considering place value, or start at the right as with whole
numbers.

Example
4.15 + 0.1 = 4.16 or 12 0.1 = 11
10. Students misunderstand the use of zero as a placeholder.

Example
1.5 is the same as 1.05.
11. Students think that decimals with more digits are smaller because tenths are bigger than
hundredths and thousandths.

Example
.845 is smaller than .5
12. Students think that decimals with more digits are larger because they have more numbers.

Example
1,234 is larger than 34 so 0.1234 is larger than 0.34

13. Students mistakenly apply what they know about fractions.

Example
1
1
>
, so 0.204 > 0.240
204
240

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23

Misconceptions and Errors

14. Students mistakenly apply what they know about whole numbers.

Example
600 > 6, so 0.600 > 0.6

15. Students believe that zeros placed to the right of the decimal number changes the value of
the number.

Example
0.4 is smaller than 0.400 because 4 is smaller than 400, or 0.81 is closer to 0.85
than 0.81 is to 0.8.
16. Students believe that a number that has only tenths is larger than a number that has
thousandths.

Example
0.5 > 0.936 because 0.936 has thousandths and 0.5 has onlytenths.

17. When multiplying by a power of ten, students multiply both sides of the decimal point
by the power of ten. When dividing by a power of ten, students divide both sides of the
decimal point by the power of ten.

Example
6.9 10 = 60.90
1
70.5 10 = 7
2
18. Students do not use zero as a placeholder when ordering numbers or finding numbers
between given decimals that have different numbers of significant digits.

Example
There are no numbers between 2.2 and2.18.
19. Students do not recognize the denseness of decimals.

Example
There are no numbers between 3.41 and 3.42.
There is a finite number of expressions that will add or subtract to get a given
decimal number.

24 |

Misconceptions and errors

Measurement

Measurement
1. Students begin measuring at the end of the ruler instead of at zero.

Example

0 inches

Student response: line segment is 2

7
inches in length.
8

2. When measuring with a ruler, students count the lines instead of the spaces.

Example

0 cm 1

10

11

12

13

Student response: line segment is 6 centimeters in length.

3. Students begin measuring at the number 1 instead of at zero and do not compensate.

Example

0 inches

Student response: line segment is 3 inches in length.

4. Students count intervals shown on the ruler as the desired interval regardless of their
actual value.

Example

0 inches

Student response: line segment is

10
inches in length.
8

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25

Misconceptions and Errors

5. Students fail to interpret interval marks appropriately.

Example

inches

1
When asked to measure the pencil to the nearest inch, the student responds
8
3
5
1
with 3 inches or 3 inches because he fails to interpret the inch mark as
8
8
2
1
a
inch mark.
8
6. Students try to use the formula for finding the perimeter of rectangular shapes on
nonrectangular shapes.

Example

Students measure length (horizontal distance across) and width

(vertical distance), then calculates perimeter as 2 length + 2 width.
7. Students confuse area and perimeter.

Example
When asked to find the area of a rectangle with dimensions of 12 cm 4 cm,
students add 12 + 4 + 12 + 4 = 32 cm.

Example
When asked to find the perimeter of a rectangle with dimensions of
8 inches 7 inches, students multiply 8 7 = 56 inches (or square inches).

Example
Students think that perimeter is the sum of the length and the width because
area is length times width.

26 |

Misconceptions and errors

Measurement
8. Students think that all shapes with a given perimeter have the same area or that all shapes
with a given area have the same perimeter.

Example

Since both of these shapes have an area of 5 square units and a perimeter
of 12 units, students conclude that all shapes with an area of 5 square
units have a perimeter of 12 units or that all shapes with a perimeter of
12 units have an area of 5 square units.

9. When counting perimeter of dimensions of shapes drawn on a grid, students count the
number of squares in the border instead of the edges of the squares.

Example
When asked to find the perimeter of
this rectangle, students responds
with 16 or 16 units or 16 squares.

Example
When asked to sketch a 4 cm 5 cm rectangle,
students sketch a 4 cm 6 cm rectangle.

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Misconceptions and Errors

10. Students overgeneralize base-10 and apply it to measurements inappropriately.

Example
When asked to change 1 hour 15 minutes to minutes, students respond with
115 minutes or with 25 minutes.

Example
When asked to change 1 hour 15 minutes to hours, students respond
with 1.15 hours.

11. Students believe that the size of a picture determines the size of the object in real life.
12. Students have a limited number of units of measure that they know and understand and
use those units inappropriately.

Example
Students use wrong notation or labels.

Example
Students choose inappropriate unit of measure or inappropriate measuring
tool for task.

Example
When faced with a unit he does not know, students ignore the unit, guess, or
do nothing.

13. Students do not understand elapsed time.

Example
Students can read a clock or a calendar but do not apply this knowledge
to elapsed time problems.

Example
When faced with an elapsed time problem, students guess or do nothing.

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Misconceptions and errors

Measurement
14. Students lack benchmarks that allow them to estimate measures.

Example
When faced with a problem that asks students to estimate a measurement,
students guess or do nothing.

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Misconceptions and Errors

Percents
1. Students do not understand that percents are a number out of one hundred or that percents
refer to hundredths.
2. Students think that percents cannot be greater than 100.

Example
Students write 1.45 as .145%.

3. Students do not realize that one whole equals 100%.

4. Students do not know which operation to use when working with percents.
5. Students have difficulty identifying the whole that the percent refers to.
6. Students lack the understanding that percent increase has a multiplicative structure.
7. Students have difficulty using zero as a placeholder when writing a percent as a decimal.

Example
Students write 6% as 0.6

8. Students find the increase or decrease instead of the final amount.

9. Students treat percents as though they are just quantities that may be added like ordinary
discount amounts.
10. Students do not recognize the whole the percent refers to, and that a second percent
change refers to a different whole than the first.
11. Students think an increase of n% followed by a decrease of n% restores the amount
to its original value.

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Misconceptions and errors

Functions and Graphs

Functions and Graphs

1. Students confuse the two axes of a graph.
2. Students do not understand the meaning of points in the same position relative to one of
the axes.
3. Students think that the points on the graph stay in the same position even if the axes
change.
4. Students think that graphs are pictures of situations, rather than abstract representations.

Example
Students think that a speed graph of a bicycle coasting downhill and then
uphill resembles the hill: first going down and then up.
A graph with negative slope means the object is falling.
If the graph is rising, the object is moving upward.
If the graph changes direction, the object changes direction.
If two lines on a graph cross, the paths of the objects cross.

5. Students think that graphs always go through (or begin at) the origin.
6. Students think that graphs always cross both axes.
7. Students focus on some attributes of a situation and ignore others.

Example
Students note the existence of local minima but ignoring relative positions or
values.
8. Students read the y-axis as speed even when it represents a different parameter.
9. Students think that the greatest numbers labeled on the axes represent the greatest values
reached.

Example

If a graph of a race has the distance axis labeled up to 120 meters, the race is
for 120 meters (even if it is a 100-meter race).

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Misconceptions and Errors

10. Students think that all sequences are linear or increasing and linear.
11. Students do not discriminate between linear and non-linear sequences.
12. Students do not discriminate between increasing and decreasing sequences.
13. Students do not discriminate between linear and proportional sequences.
14. Students think that linear problems are always proportional.

Example
Students believe that a stack of ten nested cups will be twice the height of
five nested cups.
Students believe that if y= ax + b then doubling x will double y.

15. Students think that n n = 2n.

16. Students confuse a table showing an actual situation (for example, 4 teams in a tournament)
with a table that represents all of the games in the tournament.
17. Students are unable to generalize the nth case. Students only work with real numbers.
18. Students are always trying to work a problem from the visual to the equation.
19. Students think that the results are random. There is no pattern.
20. Students try to substitute numbers rather than write a formula for each sequence.

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Misconceptions and errors

Expressions and Equations

Expressions and Equations

1. Students solve problems from left to right no matter what the operations are.
2. Students divide the whole expression by the denominator rather than just the part that is
thefraction.
3. Students disregard exponents when calculating expressions.

Example
2 43 = 8

4. Students multiply by an exponent rather than multiply the expression by itself.

Example
62 = 6 2, reading 6 squared as 6 doubled

5. Students do not use standard algebraic conventions. Students write expressions as in

arithmetic.

Example
x 5 = 1 rather than 5x = 1

6. Students do not use parentheses when they are necessary to interpret the expression.

Example
5 + x 5 rather than 5(x + 5)

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Misconceptions and Errors

7. Students do not use standard algebraic conventions for exponents. Students write
expressions as in arithmetic.

Example
x x rather than x2

8. When simplifying expressions, students write like terms next to each other but do not add
them.

Example
4 + 2x + 6 + x = 10 + 2x + x

9. Students add unlike terms.

Example
10 + 2x = 12x
10x2 + 2x = 12x2

10. Students do not distribute multiplication to all terms in the parentheses (misuse of the
distributive property).

Example
2(x + 6) = 2x + 6

11. Students distribute multiplication by a negative term (or subtraction) to only the first term
in an expression.

Example
x 2(x + 6) = x 2x + 12 = x + 12

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Misconceptions and errors

Expressions and Equations

12. Students read the equality sign as makes without considering what is on the other side of
the equation.

Example
9 + 10 = x + 9 as 9 + 10 = 19
13. Students confuse negative signs when adding and subtracting terms.

Example
2x + 12 = x as x = 12 rather than x = 12
14. Students think that a variable can only stand for one particular number.
15. Students think that different variables must stand for different numbers.

Example
x + 5 y + 5 because x and y cannot be the same number.
16. Students think that a variable represents an object rather than a number.

Example
If there are d days in w weeks, then w = 7d because a week equals seven
days. This interpretation is incorrect because w and d are identified as the
objects week and day, rather than as the numbers of weeks and days. A
correct equation would be d = 7w, because we would have to multiply the
number of weeks by seven to get the number ofdays.

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