Definition
Multi-step problem
A multi-step problem needs two or more connected mathematical steps to reach the answer.
What it means
The first answer is not the finish; it becomes information for the next move. Work out what each quantity means, keep the units and context attached, and use each intermediate result carefully until the final question is answered.
Remember it
Solve, carry the result forward, then solve again.
Example
A bus has 48 seats. Three quarters are occupied, then 5 more children board. First find 3/4 of 48 = 36 occupied seats. Then 36 + 5 = 41, so 48 − 41 = 7 seats remain empty.
Watch for
Two unrelated calculations printed together are not one multi-step problem because neither result is needed for the other.
Common mix-up
A problem is not multi-step just because the arithmetic is long; the steps must be connected.
Exact meaning
A multi-step problem is a problem that requires two or more connected mathematical steps, where an intermediate result is needed to choose or complete a later step.