Word Problems With an Unknown Letter Worksheets for 3rd Grade
Stories with an equation that has a letter for the unknown number. Find the value of the letter. 15 free printable worksheets, each with an answer key.
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Click a worksheet to open the PDF, or grab the matching answer key. Every sheet prints on one page.
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Word Problems With an Unknown Letter: what children learn
Third graders see a story with an equation in which a letter stands for the unknown number, and they find its value. They use the facts they know, such as the inverse of adding or multiplying, to solve for the letter.
Word Problems With an Unknown Letter: worked example
Mia has n stickers. Then Mia gets 8 more stickers. Now Mia has 20 stickers. n + 8 = 20. What is n? 12
Undo adding 8 by taking away 8. 20 - 8 = 12, so n is 12.
Word Problems With an Unknown Letter: a common mistake to watch for
Kids often add all the numbers in the equation, even when the letter is the start and the story needs them to work backward.
Word Problems With an Unknown Letter: how to help at home or in class
Hold some coins in a closed hand and place 8 more on the table, saying you have 20 coins in all. Your child works out what is hiding in your hand and explains how. Then write the story as an equation with a letter standing for the hidden amount. When they connect the hidden amount, the letter and the answer, they can solve equations that use multiplication too.
What is on these Word Problems With an Unknown Letter worksheets
This set has 15 different worksheets for 3rd grade, with 5 questions on each and a matching answer key for every sheet. The instruction printed on each worksheet is: “Read each story. Use the equation to find the letter.”
Example questions like the ones on these worksheets, with their answers:
- Carlos has t baskets. Each basket has 3 pears. There are 15 pears in all. t × 3 = 15. What is t?5
- Sofia has t dolls. Then Sofia buys 57 more dolls. Now Sofia has 107 dolls. t + 57 = 107. What is t?50
- Sofia shares 6 shells equally among t classmates. Each one gets 3 shells. 6 ÷ t = 3. What is t?2
- Zoe has 19 notebooks. Hana has 45 notebooks. Hana has n more notebooks than Zoe. 19 + n = 45. What is n?26
- Chen has 33 stamps. Then Chen gets n more stamps. Now Chen has 57 stamps. 33 + n = 57. What is n?24
Every answer on every sheet is checked by a separate program before the worksheet is published. How we check answers