Grade 3 Bar Models: Multiplication & Division Models

Worked examples

Real problems from the practice worksheets, solved one step at a time.

1. Example 1

   Lisa has 6 bags of cookies. Each bag has 4 cookies. How many cookies does Lisa have in all?

   1. Draw a bar of 6 equal units, one for each bag, each worth 4.
   2. 6 equal groups of 4 make the whole, so multiply. 6 × 4 = 24.
   3. Lisa has 24 cookies in all.

   Answer: 24

2. Example 2

   Amy shares 54 cookies equally among 6 friends. How many cookies does each friend get?

   1. Draw one bar for all 54 cookies and cut it into 6 equal units, one for each friend.
   2. Sharing equally means dividing. 54 ÷ 6 = 9, because 6 × 9 = 54.
   3. Each friend gets 9 cookies.

   Answer: 9

3. Example 3

   Tom puts 70 marbles into bags. Each bag holds 7 marbles. How many bags does Tom fill?

   1. Draw one bar for all 70 marbles. Each bag is a piece of 7.
   2. How many pieces of 7 fit into 70? Divide. 70 ÷ 7: take away 7 × 10 = 70 (0 left). 70 ÷ 7 = 10.
   3. Tom fills 10 bags.

   Answer: 10