Can your 11 year old do this math problem?

[Mushroomwithaview]

I suppose the answer will be that some can and some can't.

My 11 yr old is absolutely incapable of understanding a problem like this on a conceptual level. I worry about her. But her teachers tell me she's doing okay in math.

"Is it 22 minus 10?"
"Is it a divide by?"
"Should I plus them all?"

Her number knowledge is really good. She knows all her tables and her basic facts. But she just can't seem to apply what she knows.

She's not traumatised by this by the way - we're not in tears at the kitchen table!! She's quite happy, just seemingly unable to grasp this or similar problems conceptually. Normal? Or not great at her age?

My 11 year would find it confusing written out like that. It is quite a poorly written question imo ‘when the contents is only 10 tablets” what book/website is it from?

The bottle weighs 94 (I hope). I didn't follow the directions just did it in my head.

My kids are 6, they wouldn't get close lol. Might test the wife for fun. Any more you can share?

My friend can't do conceptual maths like this.

Ask him what 156/40 is, fine but ask him of 40 buttons weigh 156g how much does 1 button weigh? He can't understand what is being asked.

I teach 10-11 year olds maths. With support - and the question is guiding you - about half to two thirds could do it.
Independently about 1 in 3.

Maths, not math. Unless you're in the USA!

I think my 11yo ds would struggle with this. He could do with support but would just be overwhelmed by the question and not know where to begin. I don’t think it’s well written though either

Fewer than half of my year 7 class would manage this alone, is my estimate.

Oh go away, at least attempt to be helpful if you’re going to give an irrelevant, snotty reply

Op I’ve just showed it to my 11yo and she got it. Easier than me tbh. I have no patience for these type of questions.

My 6 year old was able to do it with a bit of extra explanation (I did ask her at bedtime, so she might not have needed help when she wasn't sleepy).

The bottle weighs 94 grams and one tablet weighs 3 grams. Not too difficult but then I am nearly seven times the OPs sons age.

Thank you all, especially the teachers.

My 11 year old could easily do this but we know him to be well above average at maths so that’s not helpful. However, we’ve just had the full week off due to heavy snow - his class have had various levels of maths work uploaded to Teams to do at home. Given what I’ve seen and the types of queries I’ve seen kids ask, I am certain many 11 year olds would struggle with this question.

I think two things: one, that this is a very poorly written question. I've read it three times and still don't understand if they want the weight of the bottle (ie the empty glass receptacle) or if they want the weight of the bottle + contents.

two, some people find it very hard to 'mix' words and numbers, my DS is one of them. I'm another one because I get very involved in the parsing of the words rather than the maths.

That all said, I don't have an 11 year old so no clue how average or not this is....

My 11yr old (year 6) could buy he is a good 4 years ahead in maths. The school call him the human calculator. I could not because I have discalculia and I can't take anything in at all in regards to numbers.

Oh come on. It was hardly irrelevant. I'm glad people are helping the OP with her question. it is a good thing to get words correct as well as numbers. I just said what many others were thinking. No need to be rude. I'm far from snotty.

Anybody care to share? 😂Don't see how to do it with no tablets in. Can work out with 1 tablet but no tablets?

Disregard. ADD strikes again lol.

I take care of a 10 year old and she’d have no problem, but I think she’s a bit of a prodigy as she does maths meant for 13/14 year olds. I have had to help her a couple of times but I’ve reached my limit!

This question is testing problem solving skills. Like so many other skills, kids develop these them at different times. Don't worry.

Bottle + 22 tablets = 160g
Bottle + 10 tablets = 124g

160 - 124 = 36g for 12 tablets (22-10)
One tablet = 36/12 = 3 grams.

All tablets weigh = 22 x 3 = 66g

Bottle weight = 160g - 66g = 94g

Ta da.

@ForTonightGodisaDJ

If you look at the problem, it tells you that taking 12 tablets out reduces the weight by 36g. Therefore each tablet weighs 3g.
Now you know this, you can work out how much the remaining ten tablets weigh ( 10x3g) and take that away from the weight they give you in the question ( 124g). That leaves 94g - that's what the bottle weighs.

Probably yes, but he is great depth in maths.

I think that would confuse a lot of eleven year olds so I wouldn’t be concerned if he gave it a go, but got the answer wrong. We’d get there in time.

I would replicate this problem with a jam jar and sweeties. Work it all out beforehand, let the DC have a go with tangible items to understand the concept.

These multi-step maths comprehension problems are fair game in year 6. The difficulty comes when kids can do maths but have poor comprehension skills. We have had to work quite hard with our DD who is dyslexic to manage these questions, and writing down the information in number format or as algebra works for her in a way the words can't. She could definitely do this quite quickly though.

No.