Solving and Evaluating Variable Expressions in Word Problems

1. Sarah has x apples. If she buys 5 more apples, how many apples does she have now? Write the equation and identify the variable.

• x - 5

• 5x

• x + 5

• x + 10

2. A book costs $y. If you buy 3 books, how much do you spend? Write the expression and evaluate it for y = 10.

• 15

• 30

• 25

• 20

3. Tom is x years old. In 5 years, he will be twice as old as he is now. Write the equation and identify the variable.

• x + 5 = x; variable: x

• x + 5 = x + 5; variable: y

• x + 5 = 2x; variable: x

• x + 5 = 3x; variable: x

4. A rectangle has a length of 2x and a width of 3. What is the area of the rectangle? Write the expression and evaluate it for x = 4.

• 30

• 24

• 18

• 12

5. If a car travels y miles per hour, how far will it travel in 3 hours? Write the expression and evaluate it for y = 60.

• 180 miles

• 150 miles

• 120 miles

• 200 miles

6. Lisa has x dollars. She spends $15 and has $25 left. Write the equation and identify the variable.

• x + 15 = 25

• x - 15 = 10

• x = 25 + 15

• x - 15 = 25

7. A pizza has x slices. If you eat 2 slices, how many slices are left? Write the equation and identify the variable.

• x + 2

• x - 1

• x - 2

• 2 - x

8. A school has y students. If 10 more students enroll, how many students are there now? Write the expression and evaluate it for y = 200.

• 200

• 210

• 220

• 250

9. A garden has x flowers. If 4 flowers wilt, how many flowers are still healthy? Write the equation and identify the variable.

• 4 - x

• x + 4

• x - 4

• x - 2

10. A train travels y miles in 1 hour. How far does it travel in 4 hours? Write the expression and evaluate it for y = 50.

• 200 miles

• 100 miles

• 150 miles

• 250 miles