Grade 4 Decimals: Word Problems

Worked examples

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

1. Example 1

   Ben had $5.00. Ben spent $1.35 on a puzzle. How many dollars does Ben have left?

   1. Start with the first amount and take away what was used, so subtract to find what is left.
   2. Line up the decimal points: 5.00 − 1.35. Think in hundredths: 500 − 135 = 365 hundredths, which is 3.65.
   3. So the answer is $3.65.

   Answer: 3.65

2. Example 2

   Rosa ran 8.5 km on Saturday and 5.7 km on Sunday. How many more kilometers did Rosa run on Saturday?

   1. The question compares two amounts ("how many more"), so subtract the smaller from the larger.
   2. Line up the decimal points: 8.5 − 5.7. Think in tenths: 85 − 57 = 28 tenths, which is 2.8.
   3. So the answer is 2.8 kilometers.

   Answer: 2.8

3. Example 3

   A bean plant was 23.2 cm tall. A week later it was 27.9 cm tall. How many centimeters did it grow?

   1. To find how much it changed, subtract the earlier amount from the later amount.
   2. Line up the decimal points: 27.9 − 23.2. Think in tenths: 279 − 232 = 47 tenths, which is 4.7.
   3. So the answer is 4.7 centimeters.

   Answer: 4.7