Grade 8 Word Problems Worksheets
Free printable word problems practice for Grade 8 students. Generate problems, solve them on screen or paper, and download as PDF.
Practice Worksheet
Grade 8 Word Problems Practice
Solve each problem. Show your work.
- 1.A school receives 6 boxes of 24 notebooks and gives away 17. How many notebooks remain?
(word problem)
- 2.A delivery route is 18 km each way. A driver completes 4 round trips, then drives 7 km more. How far in total?
(word problem)
- 3.A $80 jacket is discounted 25%, then 13% tax is applied. Find the final price, rounded to the nearest cent.
(word problem)
- 4.A school receives 7 boxes of 24 notebooks and gives away 18. How many notebooks remain?
(word problem)
- 5.A delivery route is 21 km each way. A driver completes 4 round trips, then drives 8 km more. How far in total?
(word problem)
- 6.A $100 jacket is discounted 25%, then 13% tax is applied. Find the final price, rounded to the nearest cent.
(word problem)
Show answer key
- Question 1: 127
- Question 2: 151 km
- Question 3: $67.80
- Question 4: 150
- Question 5: 176 km
- Question 6: $84.75
Free Practice Worksheets
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Build confidence with approachable problems
Solve each problem. Show your work clearly.
- 1.A cell phone plan costs 20 dollars per month plus 2 dollars for every gigabyte of data used. Write an equation in the form y = mx + b to represent the total cost, where x is the gigabytes used, and find the total cost for 5 gigabytes.
- 2.A ladder is leaning against a wall. The base of the ladder is 3 feet from the wall and the ladder reaches 4 feet up the wall. How long is the ladder? Use the Pythagorean theorem a² + b² = c².
- 3.A cylindrical water tank has a radius of 2 meters and a height of 5 meters. Calculate the volume of the tank using the formula V = pi * r² * h. (Use 3.14 for pi).
- 4.A triangle has vertices at (1, 1), (3, 1), and (2, 3). If you translate the triangle by moving each point 3 units to the right and 2 units up, what are the new coordinates of the vertex that was at (1, 1)?
- 5.A scientist tracks the number of hours students study versus their test scores. The data follows a line of best fit y = 5x + 60. If a student studies for 4 hours, what is their predicted test score?
- 6.A soda can is a cylinder with a radius of 3 cm and a height of 10 cm. What is the lateral surface area of the can using the formula Area = 2 * pi * r * h? (Use 3.14 for pi).
A selection of topic skills
Solve each problem. Show your work and include units where applicable.
- 1.A car rental company charges a base fee of 50 dollars plus 0.15 dollars for every kilometer driven. Write an equation for the total cost C in terms of kilometers d, and calculate the cost if a customer drives 320 kilometers.
- 2.A 10-meter ladder is leaning against a vertical wall. If the base of the ladder is 6 meters away from the wall, how high up the wall does the ladder reach?
- 3.A cylindrical water tank has a radius of 3 meters and a height of 8 meters. Calculate the volume of the tank. Use 3.14 for pi and round your answer to the nearest hundredth.
- 4.A triangle has vertices at (2, 3), (5, 3), and (2, 7). If the triangle is reflected across the y-axis, what are the coordinates of the new vertices?
- 5.A study tracks the number of hours students spend studying versus their test scores. The line of best fit is y = 5x + 60, where x is hours studied and y is the test score. Based on this model, what score would you predict for a student who studies for 4.5 hours?
- 6.A manufacturer is designing a cylindrical soda can that must hold 500 cubic centimeters of liquid. If the height of the can is 10 centimeters, what must the radius of the can be? (Use 3.14 for pi, round to the nearest tenth).
What Your Child Will Learn
Grade 8 word problems require students to integrate proportional reasoning, algebraic equations, and multi-step planning to solve complex, realistic scenarios, such as comparing cell phone plans, calculating compound discounts, or modelling distance and speed situations. Students choose between setting up a bar model, a table of values, a graph, or an algebraic equation depending on which representation best suits the problem.
Problems often involve several operations performed on rational numbers, including negative fractions and decimals, and may require students to interpret a rate of change or slope within a real-world story. Students are expected to critique their own solution and a peer's solution for reasonableness, identify where an error might have occurred, and communicate a complete, well-organized solution that connects the mathematics back to the original context.
Skills Covered
- Solving multi-step problems requiring proportional and algebraic reasoning together
- Comparing representations: bar models, tables, graphs, and equations
- Solving problems involving rational numbers, including negative fractions and decimals
- Interpreting rate of change and slope within real-world contexts
- Critiquing a solution for errors and reasonableness
- Communicating a complete, well-organized multi-step solution
Curriculum Aligned: A cross-strand focus connecting Strand B (Number) and Strand C (Algebra) with the mathematical processes of representing, reasoning, and communicating complex multi-step solutions.
Parent Tip: Real decisions make excellent practice at this level — comparing two phone plans or two loan offers with your child requires exactly the multi-step, rate-based reasoning this grade targets.
What your child will practice
- Scientific NotationUse scientific notation to represent very large and very small numbers.
- Rational and Irrational NumbersRepresent and compare rational and irrational numbers.
- Fractions, Decimals, PercentsConvert fluently between fractions, decimals, and percents.
- Square and Cube RootsEstimate and calculate square roots and cube roots.
- Operations with Rational NumbersPerform operations with rational numbers including negative fractions and decimals.
- ProportionsSolve problems involving proportions and proportional reasoning.
- Percent ApplicationsSolve problems involving percent increase, decrease, simple interest, and commissions.
- Patterns with IntegersIdentify and represent patterns involving integers.
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Check my workFrequently Asked Questions
Why does my child struggle with word problems?
Word problems require reading comprehension plus math skills. Teach a systematic approach: read carefully, identify what's asked, find the key information, choose an operation, and check the answer.
How can I help my child with word problems?
Practice identifying keywords (total, difference, each, shared equally). Draw pictures or diagrams. Start with simple one-step problems and gradually increase complexity.
Are word problems more important than computation?
Both are essential. Word problems show how math applies to real situations and develop critical thinking. Strong computation skills make word problems easier to solve.