Multi-Step Problem Solving – Math Test

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1. Ron is half as old as Sam, who is three times as old as Ted. The sum of their ages is 55. How old is Ron?

Explanation

Let T = Ted's age; S = Sam's age = 3T; R = Ron's age = T/2. The sum of the ages is 55, which means T + 3T + T/2 = 55. Solving for T gives T = 10. Sam is 30 years old and Ron is 15 years old.

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About This Quiz
Multi Step Problems Quizzes & Trivia

Math Test 2 assesses key mathematical skills, focusing on problem-solving and numerical analysis. Designed for learners seeking to enhance their math proficiency, this quiz is relevant for academic... see moreprogress and everyday practical applications. see less

2. An Army food supply truck can carry three tons. A breakfast ration weighs 12 ounces, and the other two daily meals weigh 18 ounces each. Assuming each soldier gets three meals per day, on a 10-day trip, how many soldiers can be supplied by one truck?

Explanation

The correct calculation involves converting tons to pounds, then to ounces and dividing by the total weight per soldier per day to determine the number of soldiers supplied by the truck.

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3. Based on the following information, estimate the weight of a person who is 5'5" tall.

Explanation

The estimated weight of a person who is 5'5" tall falls between the weights provided for 5' and 6' heights, which are 110 lbs and 170 lbs respectively. Taking the average, the estimated weight for a person who is 5'5" tall would be around 125 lbs.

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4. A certain water pollutant is unsafe at a level of 20 ppm (parts per million). A city's water supply now contains 50 ppm of this pollutant. What percentage of improvement will make the water safe?

Explanation

The correct answer lies in understanding the difference between the current pollutant level of 50 ppm and the safe level of 20 ppm. The improvement needed is the difference between these two levels, which is 30 ppm. This 30 ppm accounts for 60% of the current 50 ppm pollutant level.

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5. A study shows that 600,000 women die each year in pregnancy and childbirth, one-fifth more than scientists previously estimated. How many such deaths did the scientists previously estimate?

Explanation

The previous estimate E can be calculated by dividing 600,000 by 1.20, which gives E = 500,000.

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6. A woman drives west at 45 miles per hour. After half an hour, a man starts to follow her. How fast must he drive to catch up to her three hours after he starts?

Explanation

The key to solving this problem is understanding the relative distances and times the woman and man have traveled. By calculating the distance the woman has traveled in the total time, you can determine the speed the man needs to catch up to her.

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7. All of the rooms in a building are rectangular, with eight-foot ceilings. One room is nine feet wide by 11 feet long. What is the combined area of the four walls, including doors and windows?

Explanation

Please calculate the area of each wall correctly with the provided dimensions of the room to find the combined area.

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8. How much water must be added to one liter of a 5% saline solution to get a 2% saline solution?

Explanation

The correct answer is C. Use the equation .05(1) = .02(x), where x is the total amount of water in the resulting 2% solution. Solving for x, you get 2.5. Subtracting the 1 liter of water already present in the 5% solution, you will find that 1.5 liters need to be added.

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9. Newly hired nurses have to buy duty shoes at the full price of $84.50, but nurses who have served at least a year get a 15% discount. Nurses who have served at least three years get an additional 10% off the discounted price. How much does a nurse who has served at least three years have to pay for shoes?

Explanation

You can't just take 25% off the original price, because the 10% discount after three years of service is taken off the price that has already been reduced by 15%. After the 15% discount, the price is $71.83. 90% of that (subtracting 10%) is $64.65.

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10. Jason is six times as old as Kate. In two years, Jason will be twice as old as Kate is then. How old is Jason now?

Explanation

Let J = Jason's age and K = Kate's age. By setting up the equations based on the information provided, we can solve for the ages of Jason and Kate. The correct answer is J = 6K, which means Jason is 6 times older than Kate. Kate's age turns out to be 1, making Jason's age 6.

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11. A patient's hospice stay cost one-fourth as much as his visit to the emergency room. His home nursing cost twice as much as his hospice stay. If his total healthcare bill was $140,000, how much did his home nursing cost?

Explanation

Let E = emergency room cost; H = hospice cost, which is E; N = home nursing cost, which is 2H or 2(E). The total bill is E + H + N, which is E + E + E = $140,000. Therefore, home nursing cost N would be $40,000.

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12. The first digit of the square root of 112,092 is?

Explanation

When a number is marked off in groups of two digits each, starting at the decimal point, the square root of the largest square in the left-hand group, whether one or two digits, is the first digit of the square root of the number. In this case (11-20-92), 9 is the largest square in 11, and 3 is the square root of 9.

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13. Roberta draws two similar pentagons. The perimeter of the larger pentagon is 93 feet; one of its sides measures 24 feet. If the perimeter of the smaller pentagon equals 31 feet, then the corresponding side of the smaller pentagon measures.

Explanation

The correct answer can be found using proportions and cross-multiplication to determine the length of the corresponding side of the smaller pentagon based on the relationship between the perimeters and known side lengths of the larger pentagon.

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14. Isadora wants to know the perimeter of the face of a building; however, she does not have a ladder. She knows that the building's rectangular façade casts a 36-foot shadow at noon, while a nearby mailbox casts a 12-foot shadow at noon. The mailbox is 4.5 feet tall. If the length of the façade is 54 feet, what is the measure of the façade's perimeter?

Explanation

Explanation provided in correct answer.

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15. Find the circumference, in meters, of a circle with a radius of 25 centimeters.

Explanation

To find the circumference of a circle, you use the formula C = 2πr, where r is the radius of the circle. In this case, the radius is 25 cm, so the correct calculation is (2)(3.14)(25) = 157 cm, which equals 1.57 meters.

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16. An automobile gasoline gauge reads 1/8 full. After the gas tank is filled with 15 gallons, the gauge reads 7/8 full. What is the capacity of the tank?

Explanation

Subtract the amount of gas already in the tank from the amount filled. 7/8 - 1/8 = 6/8 or 3/4. 3/4 of the capacity is equal to 15 gallons. Solving for x... x = 20.

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17. An automobile gasoline gauge reads 1/8 full. After the gas tank is filled with 15 gallons, the gauge reads 7/8 full. What is the capacity of the tank?

Explanation

The correct calculation is: Subtract the amount of gas already in the tank from the amount filled. 7/8 – 1/8 = 6/8 or 3/4. ¾ of the capacity is equal to 15 gallons. 3/4 x = 15. Solving for x… x = 20.

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18. A student spends ¾ of his money on tuition and 1/3 of what remains on books. If he has $50 dollars left, how much money did he start with?

Explanation

The correct answer is determined by subtracting the amount spent from 1 (total amount), which gives 1/6. Then, solve for the total amount starting with $50 left.

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19. A family budgets 1/3 of its income for rent, 1/4 for food and 1/6 for clothing. If the family has $420 left, what is their monthly income?

Explanation

The correct way to solve this question is to add up 1/3, 1/4, and 1/6 to get 3/4. Then subtract 3/4 from 1 to get 1/4. Finally, multiply 1/4 by $420 to find the monthly income.

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20. Two cars travel toward each other at the same time from cities 416 miles apart. The average rate of one car is 10 m.p.h. faster than the other car. If they pass each other in 4 hours, what is the average rate of each car?

Explanation

To find the average rate of each car, we first use the formula D = R x T. By setting up the distances travelled by each car (slower car = 4s and faster car = 4s + 40) and adding them together to equal the total distance of 416 miles, we can solve for s. Therefore, the average rate of the slower car is 47 mph and the faster car is 57 mph.

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21. A man leaves his home and jogs at 8 m.p.h. Fifteen minutes later, his wife leaves home and bikes after him at 11m.p.h. How long after the wife leaves does she catch up with her husband?

Explanation

The correct answer is found by setting the distances traveled by both the husband and wife equal to each other. The correct answer is 40 minutes, as calculated by solving 11h = 8h + 2 for h.

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22. A plane makes a round trip from San Francisco airport, which lasts 5 hours. If the average rate out is 200 m.p.h. and the average rate back is 300 m.p.h., what is the plane’s greatest distance from the airport?

Explanation

The correct answer is obtained by calculating the distance flown out and back at their respective speeds. The plane's greatest distance from the airport is 600 miles based on the given average speeds and total trip duration.

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23. Travis makes a 255-mile trip by car. He drives the first 2 hours at 45 miles per hour. At what speed must he travel for the remainder of the trip in order to arrive at his destination 5 hours after he started the trip?

Explanation

Travis needs to travel at 55 miles per hour for the remaining distance of 165 miles to reach his destination in 3 hours, totaling 5 hours for the trip.

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24. Three pipes can fill a tank in 8, 12 and 24 minutes respectively. How long would it take all 3 pipes, working together to fill the tank?

Explanation

The correct answer is obtained by using the formula H/8 + H/12 + H/24 = 1 and solving for H, which gives H = 4 minutes. This means all three pipes working together can fill the tank in 4 minutes.

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25. Fritz can build a bookcase in 8 hours and Holly can build it in 10 hours. After working together for 3 hours, Fritz leaves. How long will it take Holly to finish the bookcase by herself?

Explanation

In 3 hours time, Fritz has completed 3/8 of the bookcase and Holly has completed 3/10. Fritz leaves, so Holly works alone at x/10. 3/8 + 3/10 + x/10 = 1. Solving for x, we get x = 3.25 hours.

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26. Working alone, Allen can build a fence in 8 hours, and Danny can build the same fence in 16 hours. If after working alone for 2 hours, Allen is joined by Danny, how many more hours will it take the two of them to complete the fence?

Explanation

Allen has worked two hours, so he has completed 2/8 of the job. Danny joins him, so we will get: 2/8 + x/8 + x/16 = 1. Solving for x gives x = 4 hours.

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27. A lawn is 21 feet wide and 39 feet long. How much will it cost to weed and feed it if a gardening service charges $0.40 per square yard for this treatment?

Explanation

First convert feet to yards. 3ft = 1yd. 21/3 = 7, 39/3 = 13. Area of a rectangle is l x w. 13 x 7 = 91. 91 x 0.4 = $36.40.

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28. In a clothing factory, 5 workers finish production of 6 garments each per day, 3 others turn out 4 garments each per day, and one worker turns out 12 per day. What is the average number of garments produced per worker per day?

Explanation

To find the average number of garments produced per worker per day, you need to calculate the total number of garments produced by all workers and then divide it by the total number of workers. In this case, the total number of garments produced is 54 and the total number of workers is 9, leading to an average of 6 garments per worker per day.

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29. How many degrees are in an angle that is 20 degrees less than 4 times its supplement?

Explanation

To find the answer, set up the equation X = 4(180 - X) - 20 and solve for X. In this case, X = 140 degrees.

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30. The perimeter of a rectangle is 50 ft. If the length of the rectangle is 4 more than twice its width, what are the dimensions of the rectangle?

Explanation

The correct way to solve this problem is to set up the equation 50 = 2(2x + 4) + 2x, which represents the perimeter of the rectangle. By solving for x, we find that the width is 7 and the length is 18. The incorrect answers show different dimensions that do not satisfy the given conditions of the problem.

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Ron is half as old as Sam, who is three times as old as Ted. The sum...
An Army food supply truck can carry three tons. A breakfast ration...
Based on the following information, estimate the weight of a person...
A certain water pollutant is unsafe at a level of 20 ppm (parts per...
A study shows that 600,000 women die each year in pregnancy and...
A woman drives west at 45 miles per hour. After half an hour, a man...
All of the rooms in a building are rectangular, with eight-foot...
How much water must be added to one liter of a 5% saline solution to...
Newly hired nurses have to buy duty shoes at the full price of $84.50,...
Jason is six times as old as Kate. In two years, Jason will be twice...
A patient's hospice stay cost one-fourth as much as his visit to the...
The first digit of the square root of 112,092 is?
Roberta draws two similar pentagons. The perimeter of the larger...
Isadora wants to know the perimeter of the face of a building;...
Find the circumference, in meters, of a circle with a radius of 25...
An automobile gasoline gauge reads 1/8 full. After the gas tank is...
An automobile gasoline gauge reads 1/8 full. After the gas tank is...
A student spends ¾ of his money on tuition and 1/3 of what remains on...
A family budgets 1/3 of its income for rent, 1/4 for food and 1/6 for...
Two cars travel toward each other at the same time from cities 416...
A man leaves his home and jogs at 8 m.p.h. Fifteen minutes later, his...
A plane makes a round trip from San Francisco airport, which lasts 5...
Travis makes a 255-mile trip by car. He drives the first 2 hours at 45...
Three pipes can fill a tank in 8, 12 and 24 minutes respectively. How...
Fritz can build a bookcase in 8 hours and Holly can build it in 10...
Working alone, Allen can build a fence in 8 hours, and Danny can build...
A lawn is 21 feet wide and 39 feet long. How much will it cost to weed...
In a clothing factory, 5 workers finish production of 6 garments each...
How many degrees are in an angle that is 20 degrees less than 4 times...
The perimeter of a rectangle is 50 ft. If the length of the rectangle...
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