Arithmetic patterns and problem solving: FAQ

In a one-step word problem, we only need to perform one operation (like addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division) to find the answer. In a two-step word problem, we need to perform two operations

A $2$2-step expression is a math problem that requires two steps to solve. For example, $3x+2x$3, x, plus, 2, x is a $2$2-step expression. To solve it, we first add $3x$3, x and $2x$2, x together to get $5x$5, x, and then we can solve for $x$x.

In word problems, we can use estimation to help us check our work. For example, if we're trying to find out how many apples there are in $11$11 bags, each with $6$6 apples, we can estimate that there are about $60$60 apples. If we calculate the exact answer and get $15$15, we know we've made a mistake.

Patterns in arithmetic are sequences of numbers that follow a certain rule. For example, the sequence $2, 4, 6, 8, 10$2, comma, 4, comma, 6, comma, 8, comma, 10 is a pattern in arithmetic because we're adding $2$2 to each number to get the next one.

There are many ways we use arithmetic and problem solving in the real world! For example, we might use estimation to plan a budget, or we might use two-step word problems to figure out how much we need to save to buy something we want.