5th Math: Measurement & Data practice questions and exam guide

A line plot shows plant heights in inches: 1/4 has 2 X's, 1/2 has 3 X's, 3/4 has 4 X's, and 1 has 1 X. Which height is most common?

1. 1 inch
2. 3/4 inch
3. 1/2 inch
4. 4 inches

Answer: B — 3/4 inch

B) Correct — The tallest stack of X's, 4 of them, is above 3/4. A) Is the tallest plant, not the most common height. C) Is the middle label on the number line. D) Gives the number of X's instead of the height they sit above.

How many feet are in 1 mile?

1. 5,280
2. 1,000
3. 1,760
4. 12

Answer: A — 5,280

A) Correct — A mile is 5,280 feet. B) Uses a metric-style 1,000, but customary units are not based on 10. C) Is the number of yards in a mile. D) Is the number of inches in a foot.

A cube has a volume of 64 cubic feet. How long is each edge?

1. 8 feet
2. 16 feet
3. 4 feet
4. 21 1/3 feet

Answer: C — 4 feet

C) Correct — 4 × 4 × 4 = 64. A) Finds 8 × 8 = 64, which uses only two edges. B) Divides 64 by 4 instead of finding a number used three times. D) Divides 64 by 3.

Which unit is best for measuring how much water a bathtub holds?

1. Cups
2. Ounces
3. Gallons
4. Miles

Answer: C — Gallons

C) Correct — A bathtub holds dozens of gallons. A) Is so small the number would be in the hundreds. B) Is even smaller than a cup, giving a huge number. D) Measures distance, not capacity.

How many kilometers are in 7,500 meters?

1. 75
2. 750
3. 7,500,000
4. 7.5

Answer: D — 7.5

D) Correct — Each kilometer is 1,000 m, so 7,500 ÷ 1,000 = 7.5. A) Divides by 100 instead of 1,000. B) Divides by 10 instead of 1,000. C) Multiplies when it should divide. Going from a smaller unit to a larger one gives fewer units.

Four batches used 1/2, 3/4, 3/4, and 1 cup of sugar. How much more sugar would make the total exactly 4 cups?

1. 3 cups
2. 1 3/4 cups
3. 1 cup
4. 7 cups

Answer: C — 1 cup

C) Correct — The total is 1/2 + 3/4 + 3/4 + 1 = 3 cups, and 4 − 3 = 1. A) Is the total used so far, not the amount still needed. B) Counts 3/4 only once: 1/2 + 3/4 + 1 = 2 1/4. D) Adds 4 + 3 instead of subtracting.

Which change doubles the volume of a box?

1. Adding 2 units to its height
2. Doubling all three edges
3. Doubling its height
4. Doubling the length and the width

Answer: C — Doubling its height

C) Correct — Twice as many layers of the same size means twice the volume. A) Doubles the volume only if the height was 2 to begin with. B) Makes the volume 2 × 2 × 2 = 8 times as big. D) Makes the volume 2 × 2 = 4 times as big.

How many quarts are in 10 pints?

1. 20
2. 40
3. 2 1/2
4. 5

Answer: D — 5

D) Correct — Each quart is 2 pints, so 10 ÷ 2 = 5. A) Multiplies when it should divide. Going from a smaller unit to a larger one gives fewer units. B) Multiplies by 4, using cups in a quart. C) Divides by 4, as if each quart were 4 pints.

A solid is built from 24 unit cubes. Its volume?

1. 24 square units
2. 24 cubic units
3. 24 units
4. 8 cubic units

Answer: B — 24 cubic units

B) Correct — Each unit cube is 1 cubic unit, so 24 cubes make 24 cubic units. A) Square units measure area, not volume. C) Plain units measure length. D) Divides by 3 for the three directions, but the cubes are simply counted.

How many hours are in 7,200 seconds?

1. 12
2. 120
3. 72
4. 2

Answer: D — 2

D) Correct — Each hour is 60 × 60 = 3,600 seconds, so 7,200 ÷ 3,600 = 2. A) Divides by 600 instead of 3,600. B) Converts to minutes (7,200 ÷ 60) and stops there. C) Divides by 100, as if time were metric.

A 6 × 4 × 5 box has a 2 × 2 × 5 hole cut all the way through it. What volume is left?

1. 140 cubic units
2. 100 cubic units
3. 120 cubic units
4. 20 cubic units

Answer: B — 100 cubic units

B) Correct — 6 × 4 × 5 = 120, minus the hole, 2 × 2 × 5 = 20, leaves 100. A) Adds the hole instead of taking it away. C) Ignores the hole. D) Is only the volume of the hole.

A tissue box is 9 inches by 5 inches by 4 inches. What is its volume?

1. 180 in³
2. 18 in³
3. 45 in³
4. 1,800 in³

Answer: A — 180 in³

A) Correct — 9 × 5 × 4 = 180. B) Adds the edge lengths instead of multiplying them. C) Multiplies only two edges, which is the area of one face, not the volume. D) Adds an extra zero.

Convert 25 mm to centimeters.

2.5 cm.

What unit is best to measure a small bug's length?

Millimeters (mm) or centimeters (cm).

What is the volume of a 7 × 3 × 4 box?

84 cubic units.

How many minutes in 1 1/2 hours?

90 minutes.

What is the volume formula for a rectangular prism?

V = length × width × height (V = l × w × h). Or V = base area × height.

Convert 3 pounds to ounces.

48 oz.