6th grade Q4

To create problems involving water and electric consumption, start by understanding the basic components of a utility meter. These meters measure the amount of water or electricity used over a period of time, typically in units such as cubic meters or kilowatt-hours (kWh).

1. Identify Initial and Final Readings: Begin by selecting initial and final readings from a hypothetical or real meter. For example, a water meter might show an initial reading of 1750 cubic meters and a final reading of 1870 cubic meters.
2. Calculate Consumption: Subtract the initial reading from the final reading to determine the total consumption. Using the example above, the water consumption would be $1870-1750=120$ cubic meters.
3. Create a Scenario: Develop a realistic scenario around these readings. For instance, "A family used 2.5 cubic meters of water over a week. How many cubic meters did they use per day on average?"
4. Introduce a Comparison: To add complexity, introduce a comparison element. For example, "If the average daily water usage for a family of four is 2 cubic meters, did this family use more or less than the average?"
5. Check Reasonableness: Check if the answer are reasonable by comparing the calculated consumption with typical usage statistics. For instance, if the average household uses 0.3 cubic meters per day, a weekly usage of 5 cubic meters might seem unusually high.