Guess-and-check problems

Learn with an example

📢 Logan made fudge brownies and peanut butter brownies. Each batch of fudge brownies makes 6 pans. Each batch of peanut butter brownies makes 7 pans. Logan made 6 batches and ended up with 41 pans of brownies.

_______batches of fudge brownies

_______ batches of peanut butter brownies

Use guess-and-check to solve the problem. Guess pairs of numbers that add up to 6.

Guess #1: 2 batches of fudge brownies and 4 batches of peanut butter brownies

Find the number of batches:

2 + 4 = 6

Find the total pans of brownies:

(6 × 2) + (7 × 4) = 12 + 28 = 40

The guess is incorrect. Try another guess.

Guess #2: 4 batches of fudge brownies and 2 batches of peanut butter brownies

Find the number of batches:

4 + 2 = 6

Find the total pans of brownies:

(6 × 4) + (7 × 2) = 24 + 14 = 38

The guess is incorrect. Try another guess.

Guess #3: 1 batch of fudge brownies and 5 batches of peanut butter brownies

Find the number of batches:

1 + 5 = 6

Find the total pans of brownies:

(6 × 1) + (7 × 5) = 6 + 35 = 41

The guess is correct. Logan made 1 batch of fudge brownies and 5 batches of peanut butter brownies.

📢 Walter went on a quiz show. The questions in the first round were worth 4 points. The questions in the second round were worth 1 point. Walter answered a total of 6 questions and earned 9 points.

​ _______ first-round questions
​ _______ second-round questions

Use guess-and-check to solve the problem. Guess pairs of numbers that add up to 6.

Guess #1: 2 first-round questions and 4 second-round questions

Find the number of questions:

2 + 4 = 6

Find the total number of points:

(4 × 2) + 4 = 8 + 4 = 12

The guess is incorrect. Try another guess.

Guess #2: 3 first-round questions and 3 second-round questions

Find the number of questions:

3 + 3 = 6

Find the total number of points:

(4 × 3) + 3 = 12 + 3 = 15

The guess is incorrect. Try another guess.

Guess #3: 1 first-round question and 5 second-round questions

Find the number of questions:

1 + 5 = 6

Find the total number of points:

(4 × 1) + 5 = 4 + 5 = 9

The guess is correct. Walter answered 1 first-round question and 5 second-round questions.

📢 Mrs. Lane bought 4 spools of thread. Each spool of orange thread is 5 metres long and each spool of purple thread is 3 metres long. If Mrs. Lane bought 14 metres of thread in total .

​ _____spools of orange thread
​ _____spools of purple thread

Use guess-and-check to solve the problem. Guess pairs of numbers that add up to 4.

Guess #1: 2 spools of orange thread and 2 spools of purple thread

Find the number of spools of thread:

2 + 2 = 4

Find the total metres of thread:

(5 × 2) + (3 × 2) = 10 + 6 = 16

The guess is incorrect. Try another guess.

Guess #2: 3 spools of orange thread and 1 spool of purple thread

Find the number of spools of thread:

3 + 1 = 4

Find the total metres of thread:

(5 × 3) + (3 × 1) = 15 + 3 = 18

The guess is incorrect. Try another guess.

Guess #3: 1 spool of orange thread and 3 spools of purple thread

Find the number of spools of thread:

1 + 3 = 4

Find the total metres of thread:

(5 × 1) + (3 × 3) = 5 + 9 = 14

The guess is correct. Mrs. Lane bought 1 spool of orange thread and 3 spools of purple thread.

Let’s practice!🖊️