Try mental arithmetic first. Explain how rounding changes an estimate. All prices and travel examples are fictional.
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Which is the most reasonable estimate for the height of a classroom desk: 1.5 feet, 3 feet, or 5 feet? Explain why this is an estimate.
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A fictional road trip is 911 miles. After 287 miles, estimate the remaining distance to the nearest hundred miles.
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A class has 18 students. Buy two doughnuts per student. How many are needed exactly, and to the nearest ten?
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Boxes hold 50 cards each. How many whole boxes are needed for 620 cards?
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A parking lot has 24 rows with 99 spaces each. Estimate the total by rounding 99 to 100, then find the exact total.
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At a fictional price of $0.99 per unit, what is the approximate cost of 15 units, to the nearest dollar?
Answers and explanations
- About 3 feet is the most reasonable of these options. Real desks vary; no exact measurement is given.
- 911 − 287 = 624 miles, which rounds to 600 miles.
- 36 exactly; about 40 to the nearest ten.
- 13. Twelve boxes hold 600, leaving 20 cards for another box.
- Estimate: 2,400. Exact: 24 × 99 = 2,376 spaces.
- $14.85 rounds to $15.
Adapted from Rick’s Math Word Problems Test, page 1. Wording and answer explanations have been revised; original diagrams are labeled as recovered. This is a practice sheet, not a standardized assessment.
Sources & further reading
Source links are provided for editorial review. Recovered historical text has not been independently verified.