Sep 04, 2017  The service has a premium version as well, that is ad-free, and shows extra details on math problems. However, the free version is powerful enough and has all the features most of us will ever need. The problem-solving service allows us to choose between several math topics. One of the best places to find free math tools online is Mathway. MathWay has solved over 2 billion math problems since its debut in 2008. Mathway can both be used on your browser, or downloaded as an app. This site is for older students.

Symbolab: equation search and math solver - solves algebra, trigonometry and calculus problems step by step.

Find here an annotated list of problem solving websites and books, and a list of math contests. There are many fine resources for word problems on the net! have personally checked & reviewed each website, to make sure it is truly useful.

General

Scales Problems
A video lesson that shows the solution to 14 different balance problems, starting from the most simple and advancing to some that have double scales.
/teaching/md/scales_problems_video.php

The do's and don'ts of teaching problem solving
Why do most students have so much trouble with word problems? Is the reason related to one-step word problems in math textbooks?
/teaching/problem_solving.php

Growth mindset and the value of mistakes in math learning
This article discusses brain plasticity -- or the huge potential for our brains to grow -- which means that EVERY student CAN learn math. Students need to have a growth mindset where they value mistakes and see them as opportunities for brain growth and learning.
www.mathmammoth.com/lessons/value_of_mistakes.php

Problem solving websites

Favorite puzzles
A collection of favorite math puzzles for children, gathered from my puzzle contest. Most only require the four basic operations so work well for elementary school children and on up.
/online/favorite_puzzles.php

Expii Solve
Fun, thought provoking, interactive math puzzles shown through current events and pop culture designed to relate to your life.
www.expii.com/solve

Problem Solving Decks from North Carolina Public Schools
Includes a deck of problem cards for grades 1-8, student sheets, and solutions. Many of these problems are best solved with calculators. All of these problems lend themselves to students telling and writing about their thinking.
/teaching/problem-solving-decks.php

Math Stars Problem Solving Newsletter (grades 1-8)
These newsletters are a fantastic, printable resource with a variety of different problems and their solutions.
/teaching/math-stars.php

A+ Click
A+ Click features a graduated set of over 4700 challenging problems for students in grades one through twelve, starting from the very simple to the extremely difficult. No fees, no ads, no calculators, and no sign in. The questions concentrate on understanding, spatial reasoning, usefulness, and problem solving rather than math rules and theorems. The tests adapt to student ability.
www.aplusclick.com

Variations of Sudoku from Nrich
Fun, puzzling, and engaging variations on Sudoku. For example, you are given products, differences, equations, ratios, and so on as clues to complete the Sudoku.
nrich.maths.org/public/search.php?search=SUDOKU&page=0 Mahabharat star plus songs.

Word Problem Worksheets from DadsWorksheets.com
Very simple, mostly one-operation word problem worksheets for grades 1-4. Some worksheets have problems for two different operations.
www.dadsworksheets.com/v1/Worksheets/Word Problems.html

MathCounts School Handbook
This handbook contains 300 creative problems for grades 6-8. All problems are mapped according to topic, to difficulty level, and to the Common Core State Standards.
mathcounts.org/resources/school-handbook

Enriching Mathematics
Open-ended, rich, and investigative math challenges & activities for all levels.
nrich.maths.org

Virtual Math Club
Problem sets & puzzles similar to those found on math contests such as the AMC 8, AMC 10, MATHCOUNTS, or the middle school math olympiads, including answers and video solutions posted a week later. For middle school/early high school level.
virtualmathclub.wordpress.com

Primary Grade Challenge Math by Edward Zaccaro

A good book on problem solving with very varied word problems and strategies on how to solve problems. Includes chapters on: Sequences, Problem-solving, Money, Percents, Algebraic Thinking, Negative Numbers, Logic, Ratios, Probability, Measurements, Fractions, Division. Each chapter’s questions are broken down into four levels: easy, somewhat challenging, challenging, and very challenging.

Thinking Blocks
Learn to model or make visual representations of word problems with this interactive program.
www.mathplayground.com/thinkingblocks.html

Math Circle Presentations
Math circle presentations for grades 6-12 from University of Waterloo and their related student exercises, available as PDF files. These can be used as enrichment, as challenging word problems or as review of certain topics.
cemc.math.uwaterloo.ca/events/mathcircle_presentations.html

Figure This! Math Challenges for Families
Word problems related to real life. They don't always have all the information but you have to estimate and think. For each problem, there is a hint, other related problems, and interesting trivia. Website supported by National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
www.figurethis.org

Problem Solving Skills tutorial
This is an overview of problem solving skills that you can use to attack problems in many areas of life. Includes tips and ideas such as: ask the right questions, slow down, make sure you're solving the right problem, assessing the situation, and so on.
ryanstutorials.net/problem-solving-skills

Learn to Solve Word Problems
A collection of school algebra word problem solvers that solve your problems and help you understand the solutions. All problems are customizable, meaning that you can change all parameters.
www.algebra.com/algebra/homework/word

MathWord Problems for Children - MathStories.com
Over 12,000 interactive and non-interactive NCTM compliant math word problems, available in both English and Spanish. Helps elementary and middle school children boost their math problem solving and critical-thinking skills. Need to pay for membership.
www.mathstories.com

• Word Problems Solving Strategies
  Gives one example of each strategy: Find a pattern, Make a table, Work backwards, Guess and check, Draw a picture, Make a list, Write a number sentence, Use logical reasoning.
  www.mathstories.com/strategies.htm

Problem Makeovers by Dan Meyer
Textbook problems that have been changed to be more open and inviting for student exploration.
blog.mrmeyer.com/category/makeovermonday/

MathsChallenge.net
Search for number, geometry, probability etc. word problems and challenges. Includes solutions.
mathschallenge.net

Noetic Learning Challenge Math
This is a program with weekly assignemts, designed to hone young students' mathematical problem solving skills and logical reasoning skills. The problems are non-routine problem solving questions that are adapted to many math competitions. Price is about $20 for a semester.
https://www.noetic-learning.com/gifted/index.jsp

Archive for the Handley Math Page Problems of the Week
From 1998 till 2005 - lots of good problems with solutions.
www.pleacher.com/handley/probweek/probarch.html

Math Questions And Answers

Jd 4010 serial number decoder. Best Articles about Solving Word Problems from Let's Play Math
A collection of the best problem solving articles from Let's Play Math blog. Many of these explain and use the bar diagram method also found in Singapore Math books.
letsplaymath.net/2010/05/24/best-articles-about-solving-word-problems

Ms. Lindquist: the Tutor
An intelligent tutoring system for algebra for tutoring studentsin writing expressions for algebra word problems.
www.cs.cmu.edu/~neil

Books

Math Puzzles and Brainteasers
A book with over 300 delightful puzzles and problems that teach math and problem solving.
www.amazon.com

Evan-Moore Daily Word Problems, grades 1-6
Browse Amazon's collection of Evan-Moore Daily Word Problem books for grades 1-6, which can be used to supplement any math curriculum. The problems are realistic, often challenging, and cover a good variety of topics for the given grade level.
www.amazon.com

Ray's Arithmetic (free download)
This old arithmetic book bases its instruction on word problems, starting with 1st grade addition and subtraction problems, and advancing through the topics until percentage. One could use it to help children solve word problems, since it starts from the simplest kind of word problems, and gradually advances. Read online or download for free; the links are in the left sidebar.
www.archive.org/details/raysarithmeticse00rayjrich

A Middle School Math Workbook: Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, and Geometry by Qishen Huang
This book contains challenging problems that will help your child gain math skills at an internationally competitive level.
www.amazon.com/gp/product/0981907245

A High School Math Workbook: Algebra, Geometry & Precalculus by Qishen Huang
This book contains challenging problems that will help your child gain math skills at an internationally competitive level.
www.amazon.com/High-School-Math-Workbook-Precalculus/dp/0981907253

Contests and similar

'Problem of the Week' (POWs)
Problem of the week contests are excellent for finding challenging problems and for motivation. There exist several:

• Math Forum: Problem of the Week
  Five weekly problem projects for various levels of math. Mentoring available.
  mathforum.org/pows

• Math Contest at Columbus State University
  Elementary, middle, algebra, and 'general' levels.
  themathcontest.com

• Problem of the Week at University of Waterloo
  Each week, problems from various areas of mathematics will be posted here and e-mailed to teachers for use with their students in Grades 7/8, 9/10, and 11/12. In addition, there are hundreds of archived contest problems, math circle presentations and exercises.
  cemc.math.uwaterloo.ca/resources/potw.php

• Math Olympiads
  A math problem solving competition for teams (groups of students) from schools or home schools. For grades 4-8.
  www.moems.org

• American Mathematics Competitions
  America’s longest-running math contests. There is one for middle school students and two for high school students.
  www.maa.org/math-competitions

• Paul Erdos International Math Challenge
  This is open to any child in three different age groups.
  inside.gcschool.org/abacus/

• MathCounts Problem of the Week
  Every week, a new and fun problem to solve! Browse the archives to find more problems.
  mathcounts.org/resources/problem-of-the-week

Mathathlon
Mathlathon is a monthly online math contest for students in grades 3-10. It is free if you have a subscription to Math Buddy; otherwise it costs $9.99 a year. I have checked the free sample contest for grade 6 and liked it really well! The questions are designed to foster intuition and problem solving skills.
www.mathlathon.org/mathlathon/index/

Math League Contests
Get access to a vast online practice area and enroll in the official 2014-2015 Online Math League competitions. Contests are available from grade 2 through algebra. Involves a registration fee.
www.onlinemathleague.com

National Math Bee
Online math tournament in which students in grades one through six compete in any or all of the four basic operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
nationalmathbee.org

Math projects or investigations

Mixing in Math
A list of activities that mix math in to sports, snack time, arts and crafts, playground games etc. Easy to prepare and lead, and free.
mixinginmath.terc.edu

Yummy Math
Quality math activities from real life, organized into categories such as math and social studies, geometry, data and probability, holidays and annual events, food, sports, number sense, etc. Available as PDF and DOC files. The activities are free but answers are available only to subscribers.
www.yummymath.com

Make It Real Learning
Math projects or activitity worksheets of real-life applications, focused on answering the question, 'When am I ever going to use this?' Free samples available.
www.mathmammoth.com/worksheets/mirl

MathNotations
A blog with quality math investigations and projects for middle and high school level.
mathnotations.blogspot.com

Math Projects.com (MPJ)
Powerful and innovative math projects, lesson plans, and thought-provoking articles, from pre-algebra through geometry.
www.mathprojects.com

Middle School Math Projects
Quality math projects, spanning from number sense, geometry, statistics, probability, algebra, to special math events. Pricing $7 on up.
www.digitallesson.com

The Math Academy
Downloadable booklets that include hands-on activities about real-life applications of mathematics. Includes probability, fractions & percents, statistics, combinatorics, and patterns & functions.
www.actuarialfoundation.org/math-academy/youth/math_academy.shtml

Real-Life Math Vol. 1 PDF download
A collection of activities for grades 6-8 of how math is used in real life. All twelve lessons include a teacher's guide that explains how to conduct the activity and a student worksheet that guides the student and poses problems. Price: $9.99. Free example pages included.
makemathmore.com/real-life-math

Math Activities and Games at Education.com
A huge list of free math activities, organized by grade level from kindergarten through high school.
www.education.com/activity/math

Mathwire.com
Innovative and creative board games, activities and worksheets for elementary and middle school math topics.
www.mathwire.com

Hands-on Manipulative Instructions
Print, cut out, and color & glue - various blocks, tiles, graph paper.
mason.gmu.edu/~mmankus/Handson/manipulatives.htm

A significant percentage of the population hates math and considers it a difficult subject. Students often feel desperate about equations, and not everyone wants to buy a fancy scientific calculator. But what if there was a free, internet based math solver, that would not only solve algebra exercises for us but would also help us understand math? Search no more, because the tools we present below will solve all your (math) problems.

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Table of Contents

• Symbolab Math Solver
• Cymath

Why should I use a math solver?

When the majority of students hear about equations, they are captured by fear, start sweating, and go mad if they can't solve them.

Equations are one part of the problem. Usually, math involves more complex calculations, such as matrices, vectors, calculus. There are also geometry and trigonometry problems, functions, graphs, and much more.

Most of you will probably skip this section and move right to the math solving services. For anyone who likes to solve their own problems - all five of you - there are more reasons why you should use a math solver.

First of all, you can check immediately if your answer is correct.

Moreover, you can see all the alternative methods to your solution.

What is more important, though, is that the services we are going to list below help us understand math and become better at it. They have various tools that explain in detail every step of problem-solving, from the beginning to the end of the solution.

Plus, there will always be a problem that we can't solve, no matter how hard we tried.

Symbolab Math Solver

If we were looking for the ultimate tool that can take care of all these, Symbolab Math Solver would be the one.

Symbolab is an advanced math solver, that can also work as an educational tool. The website helps the user to learn, practice, and understand how mathematics work.

For every math problem we insert, there is a step by step solution, covering topics from middle school through all the way after college.

Furthermore, Symbolab allows us to keep notes online, just by creating a new account on the website.

How to start

Math Questions Answered Free

We don't need to sign up to use the math solver. However, we will need to create an account if we wish to keep notes and track our progress.

To do so, click on the Join button in the upper right corner.

Symbolab Math Solver has a partnership with Microsoft, so we can use our Office365 account to join. If we don't have one, we can always sign up with Facebook or e-mail.

After we create the account, we can use the free storage space and the practice tool. Unfortunately, a free account has some limitations.

To have full access, we need to subscribe.

The free account will be sufficient for now, so let's see what the tool can offer.

Solutions

It wouldn't be a good math solver, if it couldn't offer solutions for our math problems, would it.

Thus, on the homepage, we will find a search bar, where we can enter our problem.

We can use the symbols on the top to enter our equation accurately. As we type, we will start seeing some suggested results. When we feel ready, we can press 'Go.'

The math solver calculates the result. Furthermore, it presents the steps it took to reach the solution.

If we need more details for a step, we can click on the 'Show Steps' buttons on the right. If the button has a lock, it means it's a premium feature.

Graphing presentation

For a graphing calculator, we can click on the respective button from the menu bar.

This calculator follows the same logic. We just enter our problem on the left and lay back to watch it solved in a second.

The graphs will show up as soon as we start typing, and it will change dynamically. We can also save the graph on our notebook, or tweak the settings to match our preferences.

Practice tool

The practice features that Symbolab Math Solver offers are very useful. Once we click on the 'Practice' button, we get to solve exercises from different categories.

On the left sidebar, there are several difficulty levels for each category.

Keep notes

Symbolab Math Solver allows us to keep notes on the Notebook section.

This feature can be pretty handy if we want to organize our exercises, and check back on them whenever we need.

Cheat Sheets

The Cheat Sheet gathers all the necessary information that will help us become better in math.

Thus, we'll find algebra and derivative rules, trigonometry identities, limit properties, and so on.

We can also download the cheat sheets as PDF documents so that we can access them offline. We could also print them and carry them with us - not to cheat during exams, of course.

Groups

Last but not least, if we want to interact with other students, we can have a look at the Groups feature.

This way, we can invite our friends or colleagues to join in a group discussion.

Groups are still in beta though, so we might expect some bugs using this feature.

Cymath

If we are interested in a more simple and straightforward math solver, then Cymath can fill that role.

The service has a premium version as well, that is ad-free, and shows extra details on math problems. However, the free version is powerful enough and has all the features most of us will ever need.

Math solver

The problem-solving service allows us to choose between several math topics.

It shows the most popular topics by default, but we can view much more if we click on 'All.'

Once we find the subject of our problem and input our query, we have to click on 'Solve.'

Cymath will calculate the solution for us. If there are more than one available methods, we can choose the one we want.

The 'How?' buttons explain each step even further.

Practice

On the menu bar, there is also a Practice tool. The categories refer to Pre-Algebra, Algebra, and Calculus.

There are numerous subjects in each group, and Cymath will show a bunch of exercises for every subject.

Guides

The Reference section on the menu bar allows us to access math rules that will assist us in solving problems.

Each rule is followed by examples, to understand how to use them.

Wolfram Alpha

Most of us use Google as our default search engine, but there are alternative search engines that do an excellent job.

Free Math Problem Solving Websites

Wolfram Alpha is one of them, but it is entirely different compared to other search engines. Unlike the other services we mentioned above, Wolfram Alpha is not just a math solver either.

Sure, it gives information on any topic like other search engines, but it can do much more than that. Its developers describe it as 'a computational knowledge engine,' and it can compute anything we want.

To use it as a math solver, all we have to do is enter our query and hit 'Compute.'

Among the results, we will see a graphic presentation, alternate forms of what we entered, as well as the solution to the problem.

However, if we wish to see a step by step solution, we will have to upgrade to a premium account.

Do you like math?

The math solving services we mentioned will help you understand math a little bit better.

How do you solve your math problems? Did you find any of the tools mentioned useful for your homework? Do you use any other services to calculate your equations?

Leave a comment below.

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