Is your child confident in tackling Math Questions with equal concept?
Is your child confident when it comes to tackling Math problems involving equal concepts? It’s not just any concepts – it’s possibly one of the most frequently tested and versatile concepts in Primary-level Math exams.
In P5 and P6, students are required to apply the various mathematical concepts to solve Math Problem Sums Questions generally found in Paper 2 of PSLE Math paper. Appearing in diverse formats and style, it challenges your child’s adaptability, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. But fear not, for with the right guidance and practice, your child can not only understand but also excel in these questions.
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Some of the more common topics are:
- Equal Beginning
- Equal Ending
- Equal Change
- Equal Fraction
- Equal Number of coins
Oftentimes, multiple methods can be used to solve Math Problem Sum questions
Most of the time, the questions can be solved using model drawing. But oftentimes, there are more than one approach that can be used to solve a Math Problem Sum question.
For example, can you think of the 2 methods you can use to solve this Math trivia?
How It Applies to Prelim Math Questions on Equal Number of Coins [PLMGS 2022 P2 Q17]
However, the following questions required the understanding of finding the common multiples to find:
- The equal number of items bought
- The equal amount of money spent
Students will need to apply what they have learnt in Primary 4 (Topic: Factors and Multiples) to find the Lowest Common Multiples (L.C.M.) to solve the question.
Example 1 [Math Concept: Equal Number of items bought]
Cups and bowls are sold at the prices shown below. Sally bought an equal number of cups and bowls. She was given a $130 discount and hence paid $1400 for her purchases. How many cups did she buy?
Since Sally bought an equal number of cups and bowls means that we need to find the Lowest Common Multiple (L.C.M.) of 4 and 7 = 28
| 28 Cups | 28 Bowls |
| 4 sets x $20 = $80 | 7 sets x $25 = $175 |
1 set (Total) = 28 cups + 28 bowls
= $80 + $175
= $255
Actual Amount (Before discount) = $1400 + $130 = $1530
To find the number of sets = $1530 ÷ $255
= 6 sets
Total number of cups = 6 x 28
= 168 cups (Ans)
She bought 168 cups altogether.
> click on the link here to watch the video solution
Example 2 [Math Concept: Equal Amount of Money Spent]
Cups and bowls are sold at the prices shown below.
Jessica spent an equal amount of money on the cups and bowls. She bought 44 more cups than bowls. How much did she spend on the cups?
An equal amount of money spent prompts us to find the Lowest common Multiple (L.C.M.) of 22 & 66 = 66
| $66 on cups | $66 on Bowls |
| 3 sets x $22 = $66
3 x 3 cups = 9 cups |
1 set x $66 = $66
|
1 set (difference) = 9 cups – 5 bowls = 4 more cups than bowls.
Since there are 44 more cups than bowls, we will take
44 + 4 = 11 sets
Amount of money spent on cups = 11 sets x $22
= $726 (Ans)
She spent $726 on the cups.
> click on the link here to watch the video solution
