What is a Number Story Problem?

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Grade Level:

Pre-School – Class 2

All domains without exception

Definition

What is it?

A Number Story Problem is a math question told like a short story, using words instead of just numbers. It describes a situation from everyday life and asks you to find a solution using addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division.

Simple Example

Quick Example

Imagine you have 5 delicious ladoos. Your friend gives you 3 more ladoos. How many ladoos do you have in total? This is a number story problem because it tells a small story about ladoos and asks you to do a math operation.

Worked Example

Step-by-Step

PROBLEM: Rohit bought 4 packets of biscuits for his family. Each packet has 6 biscuits. How many biscuits did Rohit buy in total?
---Step 1: Understand what the problem is asking. We need to find the total number of biscuits.
---Step 2: Identify the numbers given. Rohit bought 4 packets. Each packet has 6 biscuits.
---Step 3: Decide the operation. Since we need to find the total when each group has the same number, we will multiply.
---Step 4: Perform the calculation. Total biscuits = Number of packets x Biscuits per packet = 4 x 6.
---Step 5: Calculate the answer. 4 x 6 = 24.
---Answer: Rohit bought 24 biscuits in total.

Why It Matters

Understanding number story problems helps you apply math skills to real-life situations, not just solve sums. This skill is crucial for careers like being a shopkeeper managing inventory, an engineer calculating materials, or even a doctor figuring out medicine dosages.

Common Mistakes

MISTAKE: Directly adding all numbers seen in the problem without understanding the question. | CORRECTION: Read the story carefully and identify what action is happening (adding, taking away, grouping, sharing).

MISTAKE: Choosing the wrong operation (e.g., subtracting instead of adding). | CORRECTION: Look for keywords like 'total', 'altogether' (usually addition), 'left', 'difference' (usually subtraction), 'each', 'groups of' (usually multiplication/division).

MISTAKE: Not writing down the steps or showing working. | CORRECTION: Break the problem into smaller parts, write down what you know, what you need to find, and each step of your calculation.

Practice Questions

Try It Yourself

QUESTION: A vendor sold 12 apples in the morning and 8 apples in the evening. How many apples did he sell all day? | ANSWER: 20 apples

QUESTION: There are 25 students in a class. If 7 students are absent today, how many students are present? | ANSWER: 18 students

QUESTION: A auto-rickshaw driver covered 15 km in the morning and then drove 8 km more in the afternoon. If petrol costs Rs 5 per km, how much did he spend on petrol for the whole day's travel? | ANSWER: Rs 115

MCQ

Quick Quiz

Which of these is NOT a number story problem?

Rohan had 10 marbles, gave 3 to his sister. How many are left?

What is 5 + 7?

A baker made 20 cookies and sold 15. How many are unsold?

My mother bought 4 kg of rice and 2 kg of dal. How much did she buy in total?

The Correct Answer Is:

Option B is a direct math sum, not a story. The other options describe real-life situations that require a math operation to solve.

Real World Connection

In the Real World

When a shopkeeper at a local kirana store calculates your total bill after you buy different items, they are solving a number story problem. Even when a delivery person plans their route to cover multiple addresses efficiently, they are using similar problem-solving skills.

Key Vocabulary

Key Terms

PROBLEM: A question that needs to be solved | OPERATION: A mathematical action like addition, subtraction | TOTAL: The whole amount or sum | DIFFERENCE: The result of subtracting one number from another | SOLUTION: The answer to a problem

What's Next

What to Learn Next

Now that you understand what number story problems are, you can move on to learning about 'Keywords in Word Problems'. This will help you quickly identify which operation to use (addition, subtraction, etc.) based on specific words in the story.