Time & Money
Elapsed time, reading schedules, and money word problems — everyday measurement
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Have you ever stared at the clock, waiting for the pizza delivery person to arrive, wondering exactly how many minutes are left? Or maybe you’ve emptied your piggy bank to buy that awesome new video game, and you need to know if you have enough cash. 🍕🎮 Welcome to the world of Time & Money! On the SSAT, you will see questions that ask you to be a master of the clock and a wizard with a wallet.
Time questions usually ask about 'elapsed time.' That is just a fancy way of saying 'how much time has passed.' Think of it like a movie: if it starts at 2:00 PM and is 90 minutes long, when do the credits roll? The trick is remembering that there are 60 minutes in an hour, not 100! ⏰
Money questions are all about keeping track of dollars and cents. You might need to add up the cost of a shopping trip or figure out how much change you get back from a twenty-dollar bill. It is exactly like managing your allowance. 💵
Whether you are calculating the cost of a long-distance phone call or figuring out when your soccer game ends, these problems are super useful in real life. Let's dive in and learn how to beat the clock and count those coins so you can ace this part of the SSAT!
Practice Questions
3 practice questions for SSAT Middle Level
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- To find the least number of coins, Marcus must use as many of the largest value coin (quarters) as possible. Let's test the number of quarters:
If he has quarters ( cents), he needs cents more, which cannot be made exactly with only 10-cent dimes.
If he has quarters ( cents), he needs cents more. This can be made exactly with dimes ().
Therefore, the least number of coins is quarters + dimes = coins.
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- First, find the total duration of the double feature including the intermission. Add the minutes: minutes. Since minutes is hour, minutes is equal to hour and minutes. Next, add the hours from the movies: hour + hour + hour (from the minutes) = hours and minutes total duration. Add this total time to the start time of 1:15 PM. 1:15 PM + hours = 4:15 PM. 4:15 PM + minutes = 4:50 PM.
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- First, calculate the total cost of the pencils: . Next, calculate the total cost of the erasers: . Add these amounts together to find the total amount spent: $ Finally, subtract the total cost from the $5.00 bill to find the change: $
Tips & Strategies
- For time problems, use the 'timeline' method. Jump to the nearest hour first, then add the leftover minutes. It is much safer than trying to add time like regular numbers! ⏱️
- When adding or subtracting money, ALWAYS line up your decimal points. Treat as so you don't accidentally add dollars to cents! 💰
Common Mistakes
- Watch out for the 100-minute trap! Students often try to add time like regular math (e.g., ). Remember, clocks roll over at 60, not 100! 🛑
- Don't forget to check if the time switches from AM to PM or PM to AM, especially if your timeline passes 12:00!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to know how to calculate taxes for money problems?
Usually, no! The SSAT keeps it simple. If a problem involves tax, they will give you the exact amount to add, or ask a simple fraction question like finding of the price.
What is the fastest way to add lots of prices together?
Group numbers that make friendly totals! If you have and , add the cents first (), then add the dollars. It makes the math much faster!
Will I have to multiply money by fractions?
Sometimes! You might see a question asking for half the price. Just write it as and multiply, or simply divide the total amount by 2.
How many Time and Money questions are on the SSAT?
You will typically see 2 to 4 of these real-world word problems. They are a great place to score easy points if you read carefully!