GED Math Extra Prep: Create Equations from Word Problems

Word problems abound on the GED Math test, so you’ll need to know how to figure out what they are asking you to find, convert the question into a mathematical equation (or equations), and then solve them.

Practice Questions

1. Jim rented a lawnmower from 9:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. He paid a total of $53.04. What was the hourly rental fee? (Note: You may not use a calculator for this problem.)

   A. $5.58 B. $6.24 C. $6.63 D. $7.07

2. A New York City taxi charges an initial fee of $2.50 plus $0.50 for every 1/5 of a mile traveled. If Jim’s total fare (not including tip) equals $14.50, how many miles did Jim travel?

   A. 4.8 miles B. 5.8 miles C. 24 miles D. 29 miles

Answers and Explanations

1. The correct answer is B.

   First, you need to determine the number of hours that Jim rented the lawnmower for: There are 3 hours from 9:00 a.m. till noon (12:00 p.m.) and 5.5 hours from noon till 5:30 p.m., for a total of 3 + 5.5 = 8.5 hours. Then you can find the hourly cost by dividing the total cost by the number of hours:

   

   Hence, Choice (B) is correct.

2. The correct answer is A.

   The total fare (not including tip) consists of a set initial fee of $2.50 plus a variable cost depending on the number of miles traveled, x:

   $14.50 = $2.50 + variable cost

   Hence, the variable cost equals $12.00.

   Because every 1/5 of a mile traveled costs an additional $0.50, multiplying by 5 shows that 1 mile costs $2.50. Divide the variable cost ($12) by the cost per mile ($2.50) to find the number of miles traveled:

   

   Hence, Choice (A) is the correct answer.