Defining Simple Problems Practice Test

At the playground, Chen and Emma see water bottles tip over on the bench. They watch for 10 minutes and count 3 spills. They notice the bench is slanted and bottles are round at the bottom. Their teacher says, “Use your observations to define the problem.” They want bottles to stay upright. A new or improved object or tool could help. Which describes the problem that could be solved with a new tool or object?

In the cafeteria, Amir and Maya watch kids carry lunch trays. They ask, "What is hard about trays?" Three kids say, "My tray is too heavy," and one says, "My milk spills." The teacher helps them count, and they see 5 spills in one lunch. Amir says, "Spills happen when trays tip." Maya defines it: "The problem is that lunch trays are too heavy and tip for small hands." They think an improved tray or holder could help. What problem did they define?​