Common Core: 6th Grade Math : Use Variables to Represent Numbers and Write Expressions: CCSS.Math.Content.6.EE.B.6

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for Common Core: 6th Grade Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Algebra

James bought candy using a 10 dollar bill and received  dollars in change.  Which of the following describes how much James paid for the candy?

Possible Answers:


Correct answer:

Explanation:

The amount of change given after a purchase is the amount the customer pays minus the cost of the item.  So the cost of the item is the amount the customer pays minus the amount of change received.

Example Question #3 : How To Find The Measure Of An Angle

Call the three angles of a triangle 

The measure of  is twenty degrees greater than that of ; the measure of  is thirty degrees less than twice that of . If  is the measure of , then which of the following equations would we need to solve in order to calculate the measures of the angles?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The measure of  is twenty degrees greater than the measure  of , so its measure is 20 added to that of  - that is, .

The measure of  is thirty degrees less than twice that of . Twice the measure of  is , and thirty degrees less than this is 30 subtracted from  - that is, .

The sum of the measures of the three angles of a triangle is 180, so, to solve for  - thereby allowing us to calulate all three angle measures - we add these three expressions and set the sum equal to 180. This yields the equation:

Example Question #4 : How To Find The Measure Of An Angle

Call the three angles of a triangle 

The measure of  is forty degrees less than that of ; the measure of  is ten degrees less than twice that of . If  is the measure of , then which of the following equations would we need to solve in order to calculate the measures of the angles?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The measure of  is forty degrees less than the measure  of , so its measure is 40 subtracted from that of  - that is, .

The measure of  is ten degrees less than twice that of . Twice the measure of  is , and ten degrees less than this is 10 subtracted from  - that is, .

The sum of the measures of the three angles of a triangle is 180, so, to solve for  - thereby allowing us to calulate all three angle measures - we add these three expressions and set the sum equal to 180. This yields the equation:

Example Question #1 : Use Variables To Represent Numbers And Write Expressions: Ccss.Math.Content.6.Ee.B.6

Read the following scenario:

A barista has to make sixty pounds of a special blend of coffee at Moonbucks, using Hazelnut Happiness beans and Pecan Delight beans. If there are fourteen fewer pounds of Hazelnut Happiness beans in the mixture than Pecan Delight beans, then how many pounds of each will she use?

If  represents the number of pounds of Pecan Delight coffee beans in the mixture, then which of the following equations could be set up in order to find the number of pounds of each variety of bean?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Since there are fourteen fewer pounds of Hazelnut Happiness beans in the mixture than Pecan Delight beans , then the number of pounds of Hazelnut Happiness beans is fourteen subtracted from :

.

Add the number of pounds of Pecan Delight beans, , to the number of pounds of Hazelnut Happiness beans, , to get the number of pounds of the mixture, which is .

This translates to the following equation:

Example Question #1 : Use Variables To Represent Numbers And Write Expressions: Ccss.Math.Content.6.Ee.B.6

Read the following scenario:

A barista has to make forty pounds of a special blend of coffee at Moonbucks, using Vanilla Dream beans and Strawberry Heaven beans. If there are twelve more pounds of Vanilla Dream beans in the mixture than Strawberry Heaven beans, then how many pounds of each will she use?

If  represents the number of pounds of Strawberry Heaven coffee beans in the mixture, then which of the following equations could be set up in order to find the number of pounds of each variety of bean?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Since there are twelve more pounds of Vanilla Dream beans in the mixture than Strawberry Heaven beans, then the number of pounds of Vanilla Dream beans is twelve added to :

 .

Add the number of pounds of Strawberry Heaven beans, , to the number of pounds of Vanilla Dream beans, , to get the number of pounds of the mixture, which is .

This translates to the following equation:

Example Question #1 : Use Variables To Represent Numbers And Write Expressions: Ccss.Math.Content.6.Ee.B.6

Select the equation or inequality that matches the number sentence below.

 is greater than  minus 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Our number sentence has the phrase "greater than" which means we have an inequality. 

" is greater than" can be written as  because we replace the words "greater than" with the greater than symbol. 

Next, we have " minus ". This can be written as  because minus means subtraction, so we replace the word "minus" with the subtraction symbol. 

When we put these pieces together we have 

 

Example Question #3 : Use Variables To Represent Numbers And Write Expressions: Ccss.Math.Content.6.Ee.B.6

Select the equation or inequality that matches the number sentence below.

 is greater than  minus 

 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Our number sentence has the phrase "greater than" which means we have an inequality. 

" is greater than" can be written as  because we replace the words "greater than" with the greater than symbol. 

Next, we have " minus ". This can be written as  because minus means subtraction, so we replace the word "minus" with the subtraction symbol. 

When we put these pieces together we have 

Example Question #3 : Use Variables To Represent Numbers And Write Expressions: Ccss.Math.Content.6.Ee.B.6

Select the equation or inequality that matches the number sentence below.

 is greater than  minus 

 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Our number sentence has the phrase "greater than" which means we have an inequality. 

" is greater than" can be written as  because we replace the words "greater than" with the greater than symbol. 

Next, we have " minus ". This can be written as  because minus means subtraction, so we replace the word "minus" with the subtraction symbol. 

When we put these pieces together we have 

Example Question #4 : Use Variables To Represent Numbers And Write Expressions: Ccss.Math.Content.6.Ee.B.6

Select the equation or inequality that matches the number sentence below.

 is less than  minus 

 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Our number sentence has the phrase "less than" which means we have an inequality. 

" is less than" can be written as  because we replace the words "less than" with the less than symbol. 

Next, we have " minus ". This can be written as  because minus means subtraction, so we replace the word "minus" with the subtraction symbol. 

When we put these pieces together we have 

Example Question #4 : Use Variables To Represent Numbers And Write Expressions: Ccss.Math.Content.6.Ee.B.6

Select the equation or inequality that matches the number sentence below.

 is less than  minus 

 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Our number sentence has the phrase "less than" which means we have an inequality. 

" is less than" can be written as  because we replace the words "less than" with the less than symbol. 

Next, we have " minus ". This can be written as  because minus means subtraction, so we replace the word "minus" with the subtraction symbol. 

When we put these pieces together we have 

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