Word problems with extra or missing information

Key Notes :

🔎 What Are Word Problems With Extra or Missing Information?

  • These are problems where not all information is useful. 🚫📄
  • Or sometimes, important information is missing. ❓📄
  • You must think carefully to decide what is needed. 🧠💡

🧹 Extra Information = Not Needed

  • Sometimes, a problem gives more numbers or facts than required.
  • You must choose only the important information.

👉 Example:

Ravi bought 3 pencils, 2 pens, and he owns 5 books.
How many pencils and pens did he buy?

  • Books are extra info! 🚫📚

🔍 Missing Information = Something Important Is Not Given

  • A problem may not give a number you need.
  • You must identify what is missing and see if the problem can still be solved.

👉 Example:

Latha has some marbles. She gave 5 to her friend.
How many marbles does she have now?

  • We don’t know how many she had before! Missing info ❗🔢

🧠 How to Solve These Problems (Strategy) ⭐

✔️ Step 1: Read the question slowly and carefully. 👀

✔️ Step 2: Underline or highlight the important data. ✍️📘

✔️ Step 3: Cross out or ignore extra information. ❌

✔️ Step 4: Check if any information is missing. ❔

✔️ Step 5: Decide the correct operation ( + , − , × , ÷ ). 🔢

✔️ Step 6: Solve and check your answer. ✔️✨

🎨 Clue Words to Help You

➕ Addition: total, altogether, in all ➡️ 🌟

➖ Subtraction: left, remaining, fewer ➡️ 🔽

✖️ Multiplication: times, groups of ➡️ 🔄

➗ Division: shared, each, per ➡️ 🔍

🚧 Beware of Tricks!

  • Sometimes the question sounds complicated but is simple.
  • Sometimes the question hides extra words to confuse you.
  • Always focus on what the question is really asking. 🎯🧠

💡 Why Is This Important?

  • These problems help you become a smart thinker. 🤓🧠
  • Improve your reading skills + math skills together. ✏️📚
  • Useful for exams and real-life situations like shopping 🛒, travel 🚗, and planning 🗓️.

Learn with an example

1) Oliver took a train from Chesterton to Riverside by way of Watertown and Salem. The train went 10 kilometers from Chesterton to Watertown. 7 passengers got on at Watertown. It was 5 kilometers from Salem to Riverside.

How many kilometres was Oliver’s train ride?

  • 28
  • 27
  • 17
  • There is not enough information to solve this problem.

There is not enough information to solve this problem. You need to know how far it was from Watertown to Salem.

2) Tessa took the train from Walnut City to Almondburg by way of Peanut Village and Pecan Harbour. The train went 20 kilometres from Walnut City to Peanut Village. It was 5 kilometres from Pecan Harbour to Almondburg.

How many kilometres was Tessa’s train ride?

  • 22
  • 21
  • 32
  • There is not enough information to solve this problem

There is not enough information to solve this problem. You need to know how far it was from Peanut Village to Pecan Harbour.

3) Roger bought 8 large marbles and 13 bags of small marbles.

How many marbles did Roger buy in all?

  • 96
  • 86
  • 87
  • There is not enough information to solve this problem

There is not enough information to solve this problem. You need to know how many marbles were in each bag.

Let’s practice!🖊️