4.MD.2: Solve Measurement Word Problems
Also written as 4.MD.A.2 and CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.MD.A.2 · Cluster: Solve problems involving measurement and conversion of measurements.
The Official Wording
Use the four operations to solve word problems involving distances, intervals of time, liquid volumes, masses of objects, and money, including problems involving simple fractions or decimals, and problems that require expressing measurements given in a larger unit in terms of a smaller unit. Represent measurement quantities using diagrams such as number line diagrams that feature a measurement scale.
Common Core State Standards, Grade 4, Measurement & Data · Read it at the source · Checked October 14, 2026
What 4.MD.2 Means in Plain English
Fourth graders solve story problems in real units: a 1 hour 15 minute practice that starts at 3:50, change from a $10 bill for a $6.35 book, 2 liters of juice poured into 250 mL cups. Fractions and decimals appear, and many problems need a conversion first.
Students also draw the units: a number line as a timeline, a ruler or a money scale. These problems put 4.MD.1 conversions to work, and in 5th grade they grow into multi-step conversion problems (5.MD.1).
4.MD.2 I Can Statements
- I can solve word problems about time, distance, volume, mass and money.
- I can convert to a smaller unit when a problem needs it.
- I can show a measurement problem on a number line.
4.MD.2 Worked Example
A two-step time problem worked on a timeline, the number line diagram the standard names.
Soccer practice starts at 3:50 p.m. and lasts 1 hour 25 minutes. The walk home takes 20 minutes. What time does Sofia get home?
- Draw a timeline that starts at 3:50. Jump to the next hour first, because whole hours are easy to add.3:50 + 10 min = 4:00
- Practice is 1 hour 25 minutes, and 10 of those minutes are used up. Take them away to see what is left.1 hr 25 min − 10 min = 1 hr 15 min
- Jump 1 hour, then 15 minutes. That is when practice ends.4:00 + 1 hr = 5:00, 5:00 + 15 min = 5:15
- The question asks when she gets home, so add the 20-minute walk.5:15 + 20 min = 5:35
Check it: Count the whole trip in minutes: 1 hour 25 minutes is 85 minutes, and 85 + 20 = 105. Two hours after 3:50 is 5:50, and 15 minutes before that is 5:35.
Common Mistakes with 4.MD.2
Adding minutes past 60
3:50 + 25 minutes = 3:75
Try this: Jump to the next hour on a timeline first: 3:50 plus 10 minutes is 4:00. Then add the remaining 15 minutes.
Adding numbers in different units
3 kg + 400 g = 403
Try this: Rewrite the larger unit in the smaller one before adding: 3 kg is 3,000 g, so the total is 3,400 g.
Stopping after the first step
“Sofia gets home at 5:15,” with the walk home forgotten
Try this: Have students underline the question and list every time jump before starting. Cross each one off as it goes on the timeline.
Where 4.MD.2 Fits
Practice 4.MD.2
Quick Check
- A jug holds 3 liters. How many 500 mL bottles can it fill?
- Leo pays for a $6.35 book with a $10 bill. How much change does he get?
- A trail is 3/4 mile long. Ana walks it 3 times. How far does she walk?