Notes in Mathematics
Problem Solving on Multiplication
1. Explicitation - Let us solve the following multiplication story.
After a typhoon, 1 200 people were brought to an evacuation center. The local
government provided 3 meals a day for each evacuee for 12 days. How any meals
did the local government provided in all?
Solution: Step 1: (Think). What are given in the problem?
a. How many evacuees were there?
b. How many meals a day per person did the government prepare?
c. For how many days?
What is asked in the problem?
Step 2: (Plan)
a. How will you solve the problem?
b. What operations will you carry out?
c. What strategy will you use?
d. Is there a hidden question? If yes, what is the hidden question?
e. What is the number sentence?
Step 3: (Solve) Carry out the operation(s).
Step 4: (Look Back). Check your answer if it is correct. Have time to reflect and look
back on what you have done. What worked and what did not work?
Let us solve another problem.
Example: Adelle bought 4 sets of uniforms. She paid 640 pesos for each set. She
gave 3 000 pesos to the cashier. How much change did she get?
Step 1: (Think) Given: 4 sets of uniform; 640 pesos each set; 3 000 pesos
payment
Asked: How much change did she get?
Step 2: (Plan) Hidden Question: What is the total cost of the uniforms?
Number sentence: 3 000 – (640 × 4) = n
Step 3: (Solve) 640 × 4 = 2 560 3 000 – 2 560 = 440
Answer: She got a change of 440 pesos.
Step 4: (Look Back) Review your answer. Is it correct?
Division is the opposite of multiplication. If 3 groups of 4 make 12 in multiplication,
12 divided into 3 equal groups give 4 in each group in division.
The main goal of dividing is to see how many equal groups are formed or how many
are in each group when sharing fairly.
Each part involved in a division equation has a special name.
Dividend: The dividend is the number that is being divided in the division process.
Divisor: The number by which the dividend is being divided by is called the divisor.
Quotient: The quotient is a result obtained in the division process.
Remainder: Sometimes, we cannot divide things exactly. There may be a leftover
number. That leftover number is called the remainder.
The relationship between these four parts can be expressed as follows:
Dividend = Divisor x Quotient + Remainder
This is also called the division formula to check whether the answer is correct or not.
Divide 1579 by 6.
Solution:
So, Quotient = 263, Remainder = 1
ESTIMATING QUOTIENT
Solve the following problem.
a. A farm harvested 675 kilograms of Lanzones. About how many packs of Lanzones
can be made if each must contain 7 kilograms?
Let us follow a systematics way of estimating quotients.
Estimate the dividend by rounding to the highest place value.
• What is the highest place value in the dividend?
• What is the estimated value of the dividend? 675 = 700
• Then, divide to get the estimated quotient.
• Ask the pupils to give the answer in complete sentence.
• Therefore, ____________________________________
The estimated value of the dividend is 700.
700 ÷ 7 = 100
Answer: About 100 packs of Lanzones can be made.
b. A drip from a leaky faucet can waste 4 950 liters of water in a month (30 days).
About how many liters of water are wasted in a day?
• Estimate the dividend and divisor by rounding to the highest place.
What is the highest place value in the dividend? 4950 = _____
What is the highest place value in the divisor?
What is the estimated value of the divisor? 30 = _____
• Then, divide to get the estimated quotient.
• If the estimated dividend is not divisible by the estimated divisor, look for the closest
number that can be easily divided by the divisor.
5 000 is not divisible by 30.
If the estimated dividend is not divisible by by the estimated divisor, look for the closest
number that can be easily divided by the divisor.
4 800 is the closest number divisible by 30.
4 800 ÷ 30 = 16
Answer: About 16 liters of water is wasted in a day.
Mr. Enriquez harvested 1 675 avocados in his orchard. He plans to place 23
avocados in a basket. About how many baskets will he needs?
Who has an orchard?
What fruit is planted on his orchard/
How many avocados did he harvested?
How many baskets did he plan to placed it in?
If the rounding method is used, he needs about 100 baskets.
If compatible number method is used, he needs about 80 baskets.
Which of the two estimates is closer to the actual answer?
The estimate using Compatible Number Method provides the closer estimate with about 80
baskets.
Therefore, Mr. Enriquez needs about 80 baskets.
The use of estimating is to get close to real answers as quick as possible.
Rounding Method is used if the numbers rounded to its highest place value are easy to
divide. However, if the rounded numbers do not go in easily or exact,.
Compatible Number Method is used. Compatible numbers are numbers that are easy to
compute mentally .
