Blue balls: 48 ÷ 6 = 8 blue balls. Green balls: 8 × 3 = 24 green balls. Total: 48 + 8 + 24 = 80 balls. Choice A adds 48 + 8 only. Choice B adds 48 + 24 only. Choice D incorrectly calculates green balls as 48 + 8 = 56, then adds all incorrectly.

Bumper car seats: 36 ÷ 9 = 4 seats. Roller coaster total seats: 4 × 5 = 20 seats. Working roller coaster seats: 20 - 12 = 8 seats. Choice B subtracts wrong (20 - 5). Choice C forgets to subtract the broken seats. Choice D incorrectly uses 36 - 4.

When you see a multi-step word problem like this, work backwards through the relationships to find each class's collection, then calculate what's still needed.

Start with what you know: Mrs. Chen's class collected 84 cans, which was 7 times what Mr. Garcia's class collected. So Mr. Garcia's class collected $$84 ÷ 7 = 12$$ cans.

Next, Mr. Garcia's class collected 4 times as many as Ms. Wong's class. Since Mr. Garcia's class collected 12 cans, Ms. Wong's class collected $$12 ÷ 4 = 3$$ cans.

Finally, Ms. Wong's class needs 15 cans total for their project but only has 3 cans. They need $$15 - 3 = 12$$ more cans.

Looking at the wrong answers: Choice A (3 more cans) gives you the number Ms. Wong's class already collected, not what they still need. Choice B (9 more cans) might come from incorrectly calculating $$12 - 3 = 9$$, confusing what Mr. Garcia's class collected with what Ms. Wong's class needs. Choice C (15 more cans) gives you the total needed for the project, ignoring that they already collected some cans.

The key strategy for multi-step word problems is to work systematically through each relationship, writing down what you find at each step. Don't try to solve everything at once—break it into smaller pieces and check your work by seeing if the relationships make sense when you work forward through your answers.

Number of cows: 60 ÷ 5 = 12 cows. Total milk: 12 × 3 = 36 gallons per day. Money earned: 36 × $2 = $72 per day. Choice A stops at the gallons amount. Choice C uses 60 × 2 incorrectly. Choice D uses 60 × 3 × 2 incorrectly.

When you see a word problem with multiple relationships between quantities, your first step is to identify what you know and work systematically to find what you don't know.

Let's start with what we're given directly: Screen 1 has 120 seats. We also know that Screen 1 has 2 times as many seats as Screen 3, so we can find Screen 3's capacity: $$120 ÷ 2 = 60$$ seats.

Now we can find Screen 2's capacity. Since Screen 2 has 4 times as many seats as Screen 3: $$60 × 4 = 240$$ seats.

Let's verify our work: Screen 1 (120) should equal 2 times Screen 3 (60), and $$2 × 60 = 120$$ ✓. Screen 2 (240) should equal 4 times Screen 3 (60), and $$4 × 60 = 240$$ ✓.

Total people watching movies: $$120 + 60 + 240 = 420$$ people.

Looking at the wrong answers: Choice A (300) likely comes from miscalculating one of the screen capacities. Choice B (360) might result from forgetting to include one screen's capacity or making an arithmetic error. Choice C (480) could come from incorrectly calculating Screen 2 as having 4 times Screen 1's capacity instead of Screen 3's capacity.

The correct answer is D) 420 people watching movies.

Strategy tip: In multi-step word problems, always double-check your intermediate calculations before moving to the final step. Write down what each screen holds separately, verify the relationships, then add them up.

First, find Saturday's cookies: 144 ÷ 6 = 24 cookies on Saturday. Then find Sunday's cookies: 24 × 4 = 96 cookies on Sunday. Choice A stops at Saturday's cookie amount. Choice B incorrectly adds 24 + 12. Choice D incorrectly multiplies 144 × 4.

Jake collected 56 cards this month (same as last month). Since Jake collected 7 times as many as Sam this month, we divide: 56 ÷ 7 = 8 cards for Sam. Choice A confuses the multiplier with the answer. Choice C uses subtraction (56 - 7). Choice D adds instead of divides (56 + 7).

This question tests 4th grade ability to multiply or divide to solve word problems involving multiplicative comparison, distinguishing multiplicative comparison from additive comparison (CCSS.4.OA.2). Multiplicative comparison uses 'times as many/much' language—'A is n times as many as B' means A = n × B, where A is the larger quantity (product), n is the multiplier (how many times), and B is the reference quantity (what's being multiplied). This is different from additive comparison ('A is n more than B' means A = B + n). To solve multiplicative comparisons: if finding the larger quantity (product), multiply; if finding how many times (multiplier) or the reference quantity, divide. This problem states Emma ran 27 laps which is 3 times as many as Marcus, identifying 27 as the product, 3 as the multiplier, and asking for the reference quantity (Marcus's laps); the equation is 27 = 3 × ?, requiring division to solve. Choice A is correct because dividing product by multiplier: 27 ÷ 3 = 9 laps, demonstrating understanding of multiplicative comparison and choosing the correct operation. Choice B represents using multiplication instead of division (27 × 3 = 81), which happens when students choose the wrong inverse operation or confuse finding the reference with finding the product. To help students: Distinguish multiplicative from additive comparison—MULTIPLICATIVE: 'times as many/much' → multiply or divide; ADDITIVE: 'more than, less than' → add or subtract. For multiplicative problems, identify three parts: (1) Reference quantity (being compared to), (2) Multiplier (how many times), (3) Product (result); then: Product = Multiplier × Reference; if product unknown → multiply; if multiplier unknown → divide product by reference; if reference unknown → divide product by multiplier; use bar models: draw small bar for reference, large bar for product (n times as long), label multiplier; compare: '5 times as many as 7' = 5 × 7 = 35, but '5 more than 7' = 7 + 5 = 12 (very different!); practice distinguishing language; watch for: confusing 'times as many' with 'more than,' using addition when should multiply, dividing wrong direction, and not identifying which quantity is unknown.

This question tests 4th grade ability to multiply or divide to solve word problems involving multiplicative comparison, distinguishing multiplicative comparison from additive comparison (CCSS.4.OA.2). Multiplicative comparison uses 'times as many/much' language—'A is n times as many as B' means A = n × B, where A is the larger quantity (product), n is the multiplier (how many times), and B is the reference quantity (what's being multiplied). This is different from additive comparison ('A is n more than B' means A = B + n). To solve multiplicative comparisons: if finding the larger quantity (product), multiply; if finding how many times (multiplier) or the reference quantity, divide. This problem states Sofia has 24 pencils and Jamal has 6 times as many as Sofia, identifying 24 as the reference quantity, 6 as the multiplier, and asking for the product (Jamal's pencils), requiring multiplication to solve. Choice B is correct because multiplying reference × multiplier: 24 × 6 = 144 pencils, which demonstrates understanding of multiplicative comparison and choosing the correct operation. Choice A represents adding instead of multiplying (24 + 6 = 30), which happens when students don't understand 'times as many' means multiply and confuse it with 'more than.' To help students: Distinguish multiplicative from additive comparison. MULTIPLICATIVE: 'times as many/much' → multiply or divide. ADDITIVE: 'more than, less than' → add or subtract. For multiplicative problems, identify three parts: (1) Reference quantity (being compared to), (2) Multiplier (how many times), (3) Product (result). Then: Product = Multiplier × Reference. If product unknown → multiply. If multiplier unknown → divide product by reference. If reference unknown → divide product by multiplier. Use bar models: draw small bar for reference, large bar for product (n times as long), label multiplier. Compare: '5 times as many as 7' = 5 × 7 = 35, but '5 more than 7' = 7 + 5 = 12 (very different!). Practice distinguishing language. Watch for: confusing 'times as many' with 'more than,' using addition when should multiply, dividing wrong direction, and not identifying which quantity is unknown.

This question tests 4th grade ability to multiply or divide to solve word problems involving multiplicative comparison, distinguishing multiplicative comparison from additive comparison (CCSS.4.OA.2). Multiplicative comparison uses 'times as many/much' language—'A is n times as many as B' means A = n × B, where A is the larger quantity (product), n is the multiplier (how many times), and B is the reference quantity (what's being multiplied). This is different from additive comparison ('A is n more than B' means A = B + n). To solve multiplicative comparisons: if finding the larger quantity (product), multiply; if finding how many times (multiplier) or the reference quantity, divide. This problem states Emma ran 27 laps and Marcus ran 9 laps, asking how many times as many laps Emma ran as Marcus, identifying 27 as the product, 9 as the reference quantity, and asking for the multiplier, with the equation 27 = ? × 9 requiring division to solve. Choice B is correct because dividing the product by the reference, 27 ÷ 9 = 3, gives the multiplier (3 times as many), demonstrating understanding of multiplicative comparison and choosing the correct operation. Choice A represents subtracting instead of dividing (27 - 9 = 18), which happens when students confuse multiplicative with additive comparison or use subtraction thinking of 'difference.' To help students: Distinguish multiplicative from additive comparison—MULTIPLICATIVE: 'times as many/much' → multiply or divide; ADDITIVE: 'more than, less than' → add or subtract. For multiplicative problems, identify three parts: (1) Reference quantity, (2) Multiplier, (3) Product, then use Product = Multiplier × Reference, dividing product by reference if multiplier unknown; practice with bar models and language distinction to avoid confusing 'times as many' with 'more than.'