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There are two types of kids; those who think math is boring, difficult, and horrible, and others who think math is an interesting subject.
Fortunately, you can make your kids go either way, depending on how much you groom them to love the subject.
One of the best ways to make math enticing to kids is by testing them with some simple questions while supplying them with answers to boost their logic.
If you’re not good with coming up with questions yourself, we can help. Here are some math questions for kids that you should consider asking your kids this week.
What Are Some Good Math Questions For Kids?
Mathematics is interesting for its variety. While it seems like all math questions entail someone finding ‘x’ by adding unintelligible jumbles of letters and numbers, it doesn’t have to be so.
When teaching math to kids, you don’t want them to start solving calculus right away. The best way to teach math to kids is by teaching them simple logical questions to build their arithmetical foundation.
If you can help your kids learn how to think about math questions, taking on any mathematical problems in the future will become a breeze.
In that sense, here are some simple math questions to help build your kids’ mathematical foundation, making them math prodigies in no time.
1- Equal sums and products problem
Q: What three (different) numbers have equal sums and products?
A: 1, 2, and 3 or -1, -2, and -3.
This question isn’t particularly difficult but can be very tricky if you’re seeing it for the first time. When we think of mathematical problems, we often think of large numbers.
This question proves that isn’t always the case. Most kids are inclined to think that multiplying numbers give rise to larger numbers than adding them. Thus, they think of adding larger numbers to arrive at a solution.
This question isn’t for little kids, and its difficulty is medium. A kid should have a good command of numbers and arithmetical operations before being allowed to face this challenge.
2- The decimal point problem
Q: What can you put between 6 and 7 to get a result that’s greater than 6 but less than 7.
A: A decimal point.
This is a tricky question and isn’t the typical question you’ll see in a mathematical examination. To build mathematical intelligence, however, a kid should undergo similar tests frequently.
When you throw this question at a kid, they tend to think of mathematical operators. They brainstorm the result of adding 6 to 7, dividing 6 by 7, multiplying 6 and 7, and subtracting 7 from 6.
However, they don’t usually think about adding things other than operators. It’s also a test to teach kids that math might be surprising. The answer mightn’t be where you’re looking.
This question also teaches kids to be aware of numbers other than whole numbers. It accelerates their foray into the world of decimal numbers in a fun and exciting way.
3- The price of the shoes
Q: If a pair of shoes and a hoodie costs $150, and the hoodie is $100 more expensive than the shoe, how much does each item cost?
A: The pair of shoes cost $25, and the hoodie costs $125.
Now, this question isn’t for little kids. However, it’s an excellent way to introduce older kids to algebra in an exciting way.
To find the solution to this question, you must isolate the prices for each item, replacing the unknown price with letters (or whatever sounds fun).
If the price of the shoes is denoted by ‘shoes,’ the hoodie’s price will be the sum of ‘shoes’ and $100. Remember that the price of both items adds up to $150.
To find the price of the shoes, you’ll need to eliminate the $100.
Mathematically, it’s ‘shoes + shoes = $150 – $100’
Therefore, two pairs of shoes cost $50. This brings the cost of one pair of shoes to $25. If that’s the case, the hoodie will cost $25 + $100, arriving at our $125 answer.
As I mentioned earlier, this question is for older kids making the foray into algebra.
4- The subtraction dilemma
Q: How many times can you subtract 2 from 20?
A: Once, because once you subtract two, it’s no longer 20 anymore.
This question is more of a riddle than a mathematical question but still comes in handy to help teach your kids mathematical logic.
The logic behind this question is simple. While 20 contains ten 2s, you can only subtract 2 from 20 once. Once you do that, it’s not 20 anymore; it’s 18.
Unless a kid previously knows this riddle, it’s hard to find one to get the subtraction dilemma right.
5- What weighs more?
Q: What is heavier, a pound of cotton or a pound of gold?
A: They both have the same weight. A pound is a pound, regardless of the material in question.
This question is as confusing as it is exciting. Since a given quantity of gold is more likely to weigh more than a given quantity of cotton, it’s easy to think the gold is the answer here.
This question teaches kids to work with given values, giving less thought to the nature of the materials.
6- How old is she?
Q: When Jane was eight years old, her sister was half her age. Now, Jane is 30; how old is her sister?
A: Her sister is 26 years.
This question teaches kids not to cut corners in mathematics. If you have any mathematical problem, you must work it out mathematically. Common sense doesn’t always work with math.
Here is an explanation of why her sister isn’t 15 years, as you previously thought.
If Jane was eight and her sister is half her age, her sister’s age will always be ‘Jane’s age – 4.’ This is because Jane will always be four years older than her, and not necessarily two times her age.
Since Jane is only twice as old as her sister once, this situation tricks kids into thinking Jane will always be twice as old.
This question shows that you should reflect well on the values given in a question before making calculations. And what happens to be the answer isn’t always the answer.
7- The empty basket
Q: How many eggs can you put in an empty basket of one foot in diameter?
A: One egg. Once you put an egg into the basket, the basket is no longer empty anymore.
Similar to the subtraction dilemma, this question also triggers unnecessary calculations. Most people who encounter this question tend to focus on the diameter of the basket while shifting focus away from the ’empty.’
A basket can only be empty when there’s nothing inside of it. Once you add the first egg, the basket isn’t empty anymore.
You don’t need to worry about the diameter of the basket or the number of eggs. This question can teach kids to pay attention to all the details of a question to prevent unwarranted stress.
8- Look at the indices
Q: What’s the value of 54 ÷ 53?
A: The answer is 5.
There is no better way to teach a kid the law of indices than to give them sample questions and answers. This question should come immediately after introducing kids to indices to test their knowledge of the topic.
While it’s very likely that they’ll get this question correctly, that’s not the point of asking this question. Instead, you want to see how quickly they can solve it by applying the law of indices.
Ideally, you want them to solve the question by subtracting the indices and finding the value of 5 raised to the power of the remainder.
If your kids opt to solve it by dividing the value of ‘5 × 5 × 5 × 5’ by the value of ‘5 × 5 × 5,’ you can show them a better way to do it, teaching them the laws of indices in the process.
9- How many sisters?
Q: John has five sons, each of which has a sister. How many children does John have?
A: Six.
Five brothers, each with a sister. That should be ten children, isn’t that right?
Wrong. Since John’s daughter is a sister to all of the boys, the children are only six. This question isn’t a typical examination question but makes a good riddle to cap a long mathematical day!
Conclusion
It’s never easy to teach mathematics. As a parent or teacher, it’s your responsibility to make your students take a likeness in the subject.
However, giving them questions from math textbooks written by professors who dedicated their lives to studying mathematics won’t help much. The best that can do is to make the subject boring.
Thanks to simple mathematical quizzes and riddles, you can make your students take a likeness in the oft-hated subject.
You don’t have to come up with those. This post outlines some mathematical questions and solutions to help your kids learn math better.
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