Decimals: Practice Set 3
Decimals: Practice Set 3 gives further practice at ordering, rounding and calculating with decimals, extending into multi-step decimal word problems such as sharing a decimal amount, comparing decimal measurements, and dividing by a decimal with more than one decimal place. It follows on from the two earlier Decimals sets and is aimed at pupils who can already carry out the four operations with simple decimals confidently.
Method
- Before calculating, check how many decimal places each number in the question has, since this affects how many decimal places the answer to a multiplication should have.
- To divide by a decimal, multiply both the number being divided and the divisor by the same power of 10 until the divisor is a whole number, then carry out the division as normal.
- When adding or subtracting several decimals in a word problem, list them in a column with the decimal points aligned before doing any arithmetic.
- For a multi-step decimal problem, work out one calculation fully, write down the result clearly, and use it as the starting point for the next step.
- When rounding a decimal answer to a given number of decimal places, look only at the digit immediately after the last place you are keeping to decide whether to round up or down.
- Check your final answer is a sensible size by estimating with rounded numbers first, for example rounding 3.96 x 2.1 to roughly 4 x 2 = 8.
Worked example
Work out 5.4 divided by 0.6, without using a calculator.
- Multiply both numbers by 10 so the divisor becomes a whole number: 5.4 x 10 = 54 and 0.6 x 10 = 6.
- Rewrite the calculation as 54 divided by 6.
- Work out 54 / 6 = 9.
- The final answer is 9.
Practice questions
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Q1Work out 7.25 + 3.6 + 0.85.Show answer
Answer: 11.7
Q2Work out 12.6 divided by 0.3.Show answer
Answer: 42 (multiply both numbers by 10: 126 / 3)
Q3Round 15.968 to 2 decimal places.Show answer
Answer: 15.97
Q4Order these decimals from largest to smallest: 2.09, 2.9, 2.099, 2.19.Show answer
Answer: 2.9, 2.19, 2.099, 2.09
Q5A piece of ribbon is 4.8 m long. It is cut into pieces that are each 0.4 m long. How many pieces can be cut?Show answer
Answer: 12 pieces (48 / 4, after multiplying both numbers by 10)
Q6Three friends share a restaurant bill of 47.85 pounds equally. How much does each person pay?Show answer
Answer: 15.95 pounds (47.85 / 3)
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a 11+ exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Work out 8.4 x 0.35, showing your method.
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A gardener has a plank of wood 3.5 m long. She cuts it into shelves that are each 0.6 m long. (a) Calculate how many complete shelves she can cut. (b) Calculate the length of wood left over, in metres.
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A bottle holds 1.75 litres of juice. It is used to fill glasses that each hold 0.25 litres. (a) Calculate how many glasses can be completely filled. (b) A second bottle holds 2.4 litres. It is shared equally between 8 people. Calculate how much juice, in litres, each person receives. (c) State which is larger: the amount one person receives from the second bottle, or the amount held by one glass filled from the first bottle.
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Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the decimals: practice set 3 worksheet pack - 9 pages of exam-style questions with a full mark scheme. One email opens every download in this browser for 14 days - no account, no card. Print it for personal and classroom use.
This topic is chapter 33 of 11+ Maths Workbook 1, the whole course as one free printable PDF.
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