On social media, many viewers were stunned after a mum shared a ‘simple’ math problem from her 10-year-old’s homework, but no one could solve it.
A maths problem on a primary school worksheet has left parents scratching their heads. The question, aimed at Year Five students, has sparked confusion among parents after they found it impossible to solve.
A simple math problem in a 10-year-old’s homework sparked confusion.
On social media, many viewers were baffled after a mum shared the confusing question in a post to a popular Facebook group, sparking confusion among viewers.
She admitted that she couldn’t work it out herself and sought help to find the answer to the math question
The maths problem asked: “Nine hundred and thirty-four children were divided equally between four teams. How many children were on each team?”
The instructions included: “Complete the part-whole model to show your working out. You may not need to use all parts.”
At first glance, it seemed like a simple division question. However, 934 is not evenly divisible by four, leaving parents puzzled.
Parents also confused and struggled to solve ‘simple’ math problem.
After a mother shared the problem in a Facebook group, expressing her frustration, many viewers admitted they were also baffled and found it difficult to solve the math question.
“It’s not me, is it? 934/4 doesn’t go equally?!”* she wrote.
Her post drew hundreds of responses, many agreeing the question was flawed.
While some parents joked about the impossible division, others tried to make sense of the problem.
Additionally, some suggested the “part-whole model” in the question might provide clues.
One person said: My answer is 4 x 233 and two extra who can referee the teams when they play against each other. Problem solved
A second wrote: 233 with 2 kids left out of the teams. If you read the question it says not all parts need to be used, problem is people don’t read what is written and read what they want to see
While a third commented: You’re using the part part whole model to help you to do the division. The parts should be 800 120 14 (but given the typo, it was probably supposed to be 800 120 16.) You can easily divide those by 4, giving you 200 30 3.5 (but probably supposed to be 4.) You recombine them to make 233.5 (but probably supposed to be 234).
Another added: So 233 in each team and then you have to cut 2 in half to share. I see bigger problems than filling circles!! lol, how do you choose? What do you tell their parents? Who cleans up the mess? The list goes on
Someone else said: Top circle gets the 934. First circle on the bottom gets 800 (highest multiple of 100 less than 900 that’s divisible by 4), second circle gets 120 (highest multiple of 10 less than 134 that’s divisible by 4), last circle gets 12 (highest multiple of 1 less than 14). Under each circle, work out 800/4=200, 120/4=30, 12/4=3. Total is 200+30+3=233 in each team.
The part-whole model theory
The “part-whole model” is a tool used to break numbers into components. Parents tried applying this concept but quickly ran into issues.
– One parent suggested dividing 934 by 4, ignoring the 30 in the number.
– However, this didn’t align with the question’s requirement to divide equally into four teams.
Ultimately, the consensus was clear: the question was poorly worded and could not be solved as intended. The mum of the 10-year-old student decided to leave a note on the homework, explaining that the equation could not be solved. This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of clarity in educational materials.