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Florida Grade 5 Math · Measurement

MA.5.M.2.1: Money word problems

What this Grade 5 benchmark means, worked examples, common mistakes, and a free printable worksheet.

Created by a Florida mom · Published by Tropical Learning LLC

Download Free Worksheet (PDF)See worked examples

What Is Benchmark MA.5.M.2.1?

In Grade 5, students solve multi-step real-world money problems written with decimals, such as finding a total cost, change, or how much each person pays.

Money is a great way to practice decimals: dollars are ones, dimes are tenths, and pennies are hundredths.

Official benchmarkSolve multi-step real-world problems involving money using decimal notation.

On the FAST test: part of the Grade 5 reporting category Number Sense and Operations with Fractions and Decimals, which is about 23–29% of the test.

Worked Examples

Worked Example 1

Total Cost and Change

Ana buys 3 notebooks for $2.45 each and a pen for $1.30. She pays with $10. How much change does she get?
  1. 1Notebooks: 3 × $2.45 = $7.35.
  2. 2Total: $7.35 + $1.30 = $8.65.
  3. 3Change: $10.00 − $8.65 = $1.35.
Answer: $1.35

Worked Example 2

Sharing a Cost

4 friends share a $15.00 pizza equally. How much does each pay?
  1. 1$15.00 ÷ 4.
  2. 2$15.00 = 1,500 cents; 1,500 ÷ 4 = 375 cents.
  3. 3375 cents = $3.75.
Answer: $3.75

Common Mistakes to Watch For

Not lining up the decimal points

Wrong:$13.68 + $4.5 = $14.13

Write $4.5 as $4.50 and line up the points: $13.68 + $4.50 = $18.18.

Forgetting a step

Wrong:3 notebooks at $2.45 + pen = $3.75

Multiply the notebooks first (3 × $2.45 = $7.35), then add the pen: $8.65.

Helpful Math Tip

Write every amount with two decimal places ($4.50, not $4.5). It keeps the columns lined up and matches how money is written.

Related Grade 5 Skills

MA.5.NSO.2.3

Adding and subtracting decimals

MA.5.AR.1.1

Multi-step word problems

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Independent Educational Platform. FastChomp is published by Tropical Learning LLC and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by the Florida Department of Education. FAST and Star assessment names are referenced for informational purposes only. FastChomp practice questions are original educational materials, not official Florida FAST assessment questions.