Use the four operations to solve word problems involving distances, intervals of time, liquid volumes, masses of objects, and money, including problems involving simple fractions or decimals, and problems that require expressing measurements given in a larger unit in terms of a smaller unit. Represent measurement quantities using diagrams such as number line diagrams that feature a measurement scale.
Official wording from the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (© 2010 National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers). View on thecorestandards.org
Measurement is where arithmetic meets everyday life. In fourth grade, students solve word problems about distances, intervals of time, liquid volumes, masses and money using all four operations. A problem might ask how long a soccer practice lasts if it starts at 3:45 and ends at 5:10, how much change a shopper gets from $20, or how many 250-milliliter cups can be filled from a 2-liter bottle.
Some problems include simple fractions or decimals (a runner covers 3/4 mile each lap) and some require converting a larger unit to a smaller one before calculating, as when the bottle's 2 liters must become 2,000 milliliters. Students represent quantities with diagrams, especially number lines with a measurement scale, such as a time line marked in 15-minute intervals or a ruler marked in quarter inches. Choosing the right operation, keeping units consistent and stating the answer with its unit are central to the standard.
Students subtract 3:45 from 5:10 as if it were 5.10 - 3.45. A number line that jumps to the next hour shows elapsed time correctly.
Adding 2 liters and 500 milliliters as 502 shows units were ignored. Converting everything to milliliters first gives 2,500 mL.
An answer of 35 could mean minutes, meters or dollars. Requiring a unit in every final answer keeps students thinking about the context.
Soccer practice starts at 3:45 p.m. and ends at 5:10 p.m. How long is practice in minutes?
Answer: Practice lasts 85 minutes.
Number lines are the most useful tool here because they work for time, distance, volume and money alike. Have students draw one for each problem before computing, labeling the scale clearly.
Test problems often combine a conversion with an operation, such as finding the total mass of 6 boxes of 750 grams in kilograms and grams. Practice multistep problems where the unit changes partway through.
Original questions written for this standard. Choose an option or type your answer, then press Check. Every question has a worked explanation.
Answer: 95 (also accepted: 95 minutes)
6:40 to 7:00 is 20 minutes, 7:00 to 8:00 is 60 minutes, 8:00 to 8:15 is 15 minutes. 20 + 60 + 15 = 95 minutes.
Answer: 8 (also accepted: 8 cups)
2 liters = 2,000 mL. 2,000 ÷ 250 = 8 cups.
Answer: C) $2.65
$10.00 - $7.35 = $2.65. Count up: $7.35 + $0.65 = $8.00, plus $2.00 = $10.00.
Answer: 3400 (also accepted: 3,400, 3400 g)
3 kg = 3,000 g. Add 400 g: 3,400 grams.
Answer: A) 3 miles
4 × 3/4 = 12/4 = 3 miles.
Answer: 325 (also accepted: 325 cm)
5 m = 500 cm. 500 - 175 = 325 centimeters.
A full lesson with slides, activities and an exit ticket on measurement word problems, pitched to grade 4 and editable in PowerPoint or Google Slides.
Make a lesson →A printable, differentiated worksheet on 4.MD.A.2 with an answer key, ready in about a minute.
Make a worksheet →Turn measurement word problems into a quiz students answer online that marks itself, with a class summary for you.
Build a test →Problems about distances, intervals of time, liquid volumes, masses of objects and money, using any of the four operations, sometimes with fractions or decimals and unit conversions.
A number line labeled with units, like a ruler, a thermometer or a timeline. It helps students see the size of a jump or the difference between two measurements.