# Third Grade Math question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 10, 2017, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/third-grade-math-question/779477 "2017-02-10T16:30:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/third-grade-math-question/779477/21 "2017-02-10T18:14:18Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > The question sucks but the way I read it, you take all the water from all the bottles and it exactly fills three cups. Therefore D) 1-1/3. But the question sucks. > > 4/3 is an _[improper](http://www.mathsisfun.com/definitions/improper-fraction.html)_ fraction. And there is nothing obsolete about the 1-1/3 notation (most style guides require a hyphen, not a space). The problem with that style, at least on this message board, is that it looks like 1 minus 1/3. (AP Style advocates for a space. I believe Chicago Manual of Style wants a hyphen.) ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/third-grade-math-question/779477/22 "2017-02-10T18:31:40Z")
Assume you have a standard 2 kg bag of sugar. How, exactly, would you go about it to measure up 1 1/3 kg? (You have a digital scale, and all other common kitchen utensils at your disposal.) And \*that’s \*why the “1 1/3” notation is useless. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/third-grade-math-question/779477/23 "2017-02-10T18:37:07Z")
> [@ashtayk](#): > > This question was part of a packet of math assignments by the school district (one of the largest, if not the largest in Texas). This is not the first time I am seeing a poorly worded math or science question. I see at least one in every assignment. Then complain as loudly as you can. If it’s optional for the teacher, then complain to their head of department or the head of the school. If it’s prescribed from on high, it looks like a systemic problem, so go straight to the top. Whoever’s responsible is not doing the job they’re paid for. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/third-grade-math-question/779477/24 "2017-02-10T18:51:15Z")
> [@Ignotus](#): > > Assume you have a standard 2 kg bag of sugar. How, exactly, would you go about it to measure up 1 1/3 kg? > > (You have a digital scale, and all other common kitchen utensils at your disposal.) > And \*that’s \*why the “1 1/3” notation is useless. I could not for the life of me even guess what you’re getting at with that question. 1 1/3 is a unit plus another third. It’s a concept that’s been in use of centuries and still is – look up any online recipe. I have a brand new measuring cup that has metric measures on one side and imperial (cups) on the other. If I want 1 1/3 cups of something I fill it up past the “1 cup” mark up to the “1/3” mark above it. How is this a problem? Fractions and decimal notation have their respective uses in different contexts. Digital displays don’t do fractions, but humans estimating quantities find fractions very useful. It’s why fractions are so pervasive in recipes. You are imagining some kind of non-existent problem. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/third-grade-math-question/779477/25 "2017-02-10T18:55:57Z")
It’s hard to withhold a certain admiration for whoever wrote this question: no ordinary level of sloppiness could possibly have produced something this bad. I think the most rational response would be to refuse to answer, on the basis that the question is not clearly distinguishable from gibberish. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/third-grade-math-question/779477/26 "2017-02-10T19:00:36Z")
I would use a scale graduated in 1/3 kgs … ETA: I think judging an entire course curricula based on one question on one test is a little harsh … if the teacher has been drilling her students for two weeks on this type of question … then the student should be able to answer it … why a teacher would teach children about fractions may be punitive anyway … need more context … ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/third-grade-math-question/779477/27 "2017-02-10T19:10:38Z")
Hey, homework questions aren’t allowed in GQ! How do we know OP isn’t that 3rd grade kid? ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/third-grade-math-question/779477/28 "2017-02-10T19:22:06Z")
> [@Ignotus](#): > > Assume you have a standard 2 kg bag of sugar. How, exactly, would you go about it to measure up 1 1/3 kg? > > (You have a digital scale, and all other common kitchen utensils at your disposal.) > And \*that’s \*why the “1 1/3” notation is useless. Occasional editor and writer of cookbooks here. For amusement, the full force of SD GQ was mercilessly unleashed on this in **[What formula switches from pints to milliliters?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=750297)** ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/third-grade-math-question/779477/29 "2017-02-10T19:31:58Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > It’s hard to withhold a certain admiration for whoever wrote this question: no ordinary level of sloppiness could possibly have produced something this bad. I wonder if the problem was machine-generated. There’s a template, and some values are thrown in, but there’s no correction to the English. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/third-grade-math-question/779477/30 "2017-02-10T19:35:21Z")
> [@Ignotus](#): > > Assume you have a standard 2 kg bag of sugar. How, exactly, would you go about it to measure up 1 1/3 kg? By weight or by volume? Hey, it makes as much sense as your question. (Answer: Neither. kg is a measure of mass, like oz but unlike lb. Foo!) ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/third-grade-math-question/779477/31 "2017-02-10T20:04:29Z")
> [@Ignotus](#): > > And the notation “1 1/3” is obsolete. It should be either a proper fraction (4/3) or decimal (1.33). Huh? Mixed fractions are still taught here… Why would they be obsolete? I would expect omitting mixed fractions would be detrimental to teaching kids the concept in general. ETA: should have read the whole (1/1?) thread! ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/third-grade-math-question/779477/32 "2017-02-10T20:08:04Z")
> [@Kron](#): > > … the whole (1/1?) thread! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/third-grade-math-question/779477/33 "2017-02-10T20:09:42Z")
> [@Ignotus](#): > > Never seen it except for in old cookbooks (and, yes, schoolbooks on arithmetic!) > > Feel free to add “3”:s to the limit of your measuring accuracy! > [@Ignotus](#): > > Assume you have a standard 2 kg bag of sugar. How, exactly, would you go about it to measure up 1 1/3 kg? > > (You have a digital scale, and all other common kitchen utensils at your disposal.) > > And \*that’s \*why the “1 1/3” notation is useless. Just because does not match the readout on a digital device does not in any way mean it’s obsolete or useless. The original question is not about measuring a quantity of units. It is an arithmetic problem and there is only one right answer. 1.33 is not the right answer no matter how many 3’s you add. The notation “1 1/3” represents an exact quantity. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/third-grade-math-question/779477/34 "2017-02-10T20:15:27Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > Just because does not match the readout on a digital device does not in any way mean it’s obsolete or useless. The original question is not about measuring a quantity of units. It is an arithmetic problem and there is only one right answer. **1.33 is not the right answer no matter how many 3’s you add.** The notation “1 1/3” represents an exact quantity. I swear to God, if this turns into another “.999=1 ?” thread you’re gonna get a smack. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/third-grade-math-question/779477/35 "2017-02-10T21:17:10Z")
The problem says nothing about how much total water to use, except to say it must fill all three cups. Absent any details to the contrary, all three cups are presumed to have equal capacity of one cup, a standard measure. Therefore, 1/3 of the water goes in Cup A, 1/3 in Cup B, and 1/3 in Cup C. In other words, 1/3 in each cup, which is exactly what the question asks for. The question is mute on the contents of the bottles, whether are they are the same size, or whether the are full at the start. It doesn’t matter if the bottles are 55-gallon drums. Only the cups are ever described as full. It only asks what fraction of the total volume of transferred water goes into each cup. 1/3. ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/third-grade-math-question/779477/36 "2017-02-10T22:00:55Z")
I teach a lot of elementary math classes and this question really bothers me. I want to know the size of the water bottles that the mom is using to fill her cups before I can tell you what fractional part she’s using. ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/third-grade-math-question/779477/37 "2017-02-10T22:04:44Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > The word “fill three cups” threw me off, as well as the notion that water from 4 bottles will fit into 3 cups. > > But I think the intent is to divide the water from 4 bottles equally into 3 cups, and we are supposed to assume that the cups are big enough (and the bottles small enough) for you to do this. If so, obviously the answer is (d). I see where you are going with that, but I think at the end of the day, it’s still a poorly written question. 🤓 ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/third-grade-math-question/779477/38 "2017-02-10T22:10:05Z")
Mixed fractions are alive and well in the American store … 1 lbs 14 oz, 5lbs 2 oz, 4 ft 6-7/16 in, an extra peck on that bushel of corn … > [@muldoonthief](#): > > I swear to God, if this turns into another “.999=1 ?” thread you’re gonna get a smack. So that’s where the rolled up newspaper is … ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/third-grade-math-question/779477/39 "2017-02-10T22:36:59Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > I swear to God, if this turns into another “.999=1 ?” thread you’re gonna get a smack. Hey, you brought it up, not me. But the fraction 1/3 cannot be represented exactly in decimal notation. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/third-grade-math-question/779477/40 "2017-02-10T22:58:44Z")
Cannot be determined with the information given. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/third-grade-math-question/779477.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/third-grade-math-question/779477.md?page=3)