Word problem: dividing by 1000
22 October 2026
Children preparing for the 11+ often meet word problems that ask them to change between grams and kilograms. Understanding how to divide by 1,000 is a key skill for these questions.
Word problem
A box holds 8,000 grams of flour. How many kilograms of flour is that?
Step 1: What does the question ask?
We need to change grams into kilograms. There are 1,000 grams in 1 kilogram. So we must divide 8,000 by 1,000.
Step 2: How do we divide by 1,000?
To divide by 1,000, move the digits three places to the right. 8,000 divided by 1,000 = 8.
Step 3: Answer
There are 8 kilograms of flour in the box.
Key insight: Dividing by 1,000 makes the number 1,000 times smaller.
After working through this example, your child will spot when to divide by 1,000 in similar word problems. There are more practice questions ready to help them build confidence with this type of maths.
