Equations and Unknowns: Fun Math Challenges for 5th Graders

A farmer has chickens and cows. If the total number of legs is 20 and each chicken has 2 legs while each cow has 4 legs, how many chickens and cows could there be? Set up an equation to find the number of solutions.

• (5, 5)

• (3, 4)

• Possible solutions are (10, 0), (8, 1), (6, 2), (4, 3), (2, 4), (0, 5).

• (7, 2)

In a school, there are 30 students in total. If some students are in the art club and the rest are in the music club, and the number of students in the art club is twice the number in the music club, how many students are in each club? Set up an equation to determine the solutions.

• Art club: 10 students, Music club: 20 students

• Art club: 20 students, Music club: 10 students

• Art club: 25 students, Music club: 5 students

• Art club: 15 students, Music club: 15 students

A baker made 48 cookies. If he packs them into boxes of 6 cookies each, how many boxes can he fill? If he wants to pack them into boxes of 8 cookies each instead, how many boxes will he fill then? Set up equations to find the number of solutions.

• 7 boxes for 6 cookies each, 5 boxes for 8 cookies each.

• 6 boxes for 6 cookies each, 8 boxes for 8 cookies each.

• 8 boxes for 6 cookies each, 6 boxes for 8 cookies each.

• 9 boxes for 6 cookies each, 4 boxes for 8 cookies each.

A pet store has fish and birds. If there are 15 animals in total and the number of fish is 3 more than the number of birds, how many fish and birds are there? Set up an equation to find the number of solutions.

• 4 birds and 11 fish

• 6 birds and 9 fish

• 7 birds and 8 fish

• 5 birds and 10 fish

In a class, there are 24 students. If 2/3 of them are girls, how many boys are in the class? Set up an equation to determine the number of solutions.

• 10

• 8

• 6

• 12

A gardener has 60 flowers. If he plants them in rows of 5, how many rows can he make? If he decides to plant them in rows of 10, how many rows will he have then? Set up equations to find the number of solutions.

• 10 rows for 5 flowers per row, 5 rows for 10 flowers per row.

• 15 rows for 5 flowers per row, 4 rows for 10 flowers per row.

• 8 rows for 5 flowers per row, 7 rows for 10 flowers per row.

• 12 rows for 5 flowers per row, 6 rows for 10 flowers per row.

A toy store has action figures and dolls. If there are 50 toys in total and the number of action figures is 10 less than the number of dolls, how many action figures and dolls are there? Set up an equation to find the number of solutions.

• 10 action figures and 40 dolls

• 25 action figures and 25 dolls

• 20 action figures and 30 dolls

• 15 action figures and 35 dolls

A library has 120 books. If 1/4 of them are fiction and the rest are non-fiction, how many non-fiction books are there? Set up an equation to determine the number of solutions.

• 30

• 90

• 60

• 100

A pizza shop sells small and large pizzas. If the total number of pizzas sold is 40 and the number of large pizzas is 5 more than the number of small pizzas, how many small and large pizzas were sold? Set up an equation to find the number of solutions.

• No valid solutions

• 35 small and 5 large pizzas

• 20 small and 20 large pizzas

• 10 small and 30 large pizzas

A sports team has 18 players. If 2/3 of them are boys, how many girls are on the team? Set up an equation to determine the number of solutions.

• 10 girls

• 6 girls

• 8 girls

• 4 girls