Key learning points

1. Visualising a word problem helps us see the mathematics.
2. Word problems can be represented as a bar model by identifying the parts and the whole.
3. The bar model helps us to understand the structure of the maths and to form a calculation to help solve the problem.
4. Number facts can be used when solving problems involving mass.

Keywords

• Bar model - A bar model is a pictorial representation of a problem where bars are used to represent the known and unknown quantities.

• Whole - The whole is all of something. It is complete.

• Part - A part is some but not all of something. It is an amount or section which, when combined with others, makes up the whole.

• Mass - Mass is a measure of how much matter something contains. It is measured by how much something weighs. Mass can be measured in kg and g.

Common misconception