One-step equations worksheets
Thirty-six one-step equations: balance pictures to turn into equations, mixed add, subtract, multiply and divide equations, decimals and fractions, and eight short stories to write and solve.
Download the free one-step equations worksheet (PDF)
One-step equations worksheet
What’s on the worksheet
- 36 questions on one-step equations, sized for US Letter paper
- 2 pages of questions plus an answer key on the last page
- Written for grade 6, matching Common Core 6.EE.B.7
- Name and date lines at the top, and room to show the work
Sample questions from this worksheet
- x + 16 = 29
- 4x = 28
- x + 7 = 26
- 6x = 54
- x + 11 = 29
- 6x = 48
Preview the worksheet and answer key
Make a new one-step equations worksheet
Need another page for extra practice, a retake or a second group in class? The free Mathify Kids test maker builds a fresh one-step equations worksheet with different numbers every time. Choose how many questions, print it with its own answer key, or let your child take it on screen and see the score straight away.
One-step equations: a worked example (x + 7 = 15)
- Ask what has been done to x. Here 7 has been added.
- Undo it by doing the opposite: subtract 7 from both sides.
- x + 7 − 7 = 15 − 7, so x = 8.
- Check: 8 + 7 = 15, so the answer is right.
How to use it at home and in class
At home
Start with the balance pictures in Part A. Ask your child to take the same blocks off both pans with a finger, so “do the same to both sides” has a picture behind it. For Parts B and C, say the question out loud each time: “what was done to x, and how do we undo it?” The balance scale tool lets your child try the same idea on screen. Ten problems a day works better than a whole sheet at once. Mark them together with the answer key, then ask your child to explain one they got wrong: finding the mistake themselves is where the learning happens.
In class
Use the first row as a warm-up, a full page for independent practice, or five questions as an exit ticket. For a retake or a second group, make a new version with the test maker so every child gets different numbers.
Mistakes to watch for
- Doing the same operation instead of the opposite, so x + 7 = 15 becomes x = 22.
- Changing one side only. Whatever happens to one side must happen to the other.
- Dividing the wrong way round in 4x = 10, giving 0.4 instead of 2.5.
- In the stories, writing the numbers in the order they appear instead of thinking about what is unknown.
What to practice before and after one-step equations
- Before: mean, median, mode and range. If this sheet is a struggle, go back a step.
- After: two-step equations, once this one is mostly right.
- Learn it first: the one-step equations lesson.
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Questions parents ask
How do you solve a one-step equation?
Find the operation that was done to the variable and undo it with the inverse operation on both sides. Subtraction undoes addition, and division undoes multiplication.
What grade is this one-step equations worksheet for?
It is written for grade 6 and matches Common Core standard 6.EE.B.7.
Can I get a different version of this one-step equations worksheet?
Yes. Use the free Mathify Kids test maker to make a new one-step equations worksheet with different numbers every time. You choose how many questions, and every version comes with its own answer key.