Each of the nets of nine solid shapes has been cut into two pieces. Can you see which pieces go together?
60 pieces and a challenge. What can you make and how many of the pieces can you use creating skeleton polyhedra?
A very mathematical light - what can you see?
Many of you sent solutions to this problem, although none of you tried to find more than one way of making a chain. Wilson from Beecroft Primary School sent in a diagram which shows one chain very clearly. In fact Wilson noticed that this is a loop, not just a chain:
Rachael, Chloe and Emilia from Ardingly College Junior School found a different chain:
Hexagonal prism Hexagonal based pyramid Pentagonal based pyramid Pentagonal prism Cuboid Cube Square based pyramid Triangular prism
Zara, also from Ardingly College Junior School discovered another chain:
Triangular prism - Square based pyramid - cube - cuboid - pentagonal prism - hexagonal prism - hexagonal based pyramid - pentagonal based pyramid. The links between these eight shapes are that between the triangular prism and square based pyramid are the triangle. Next the link is the square, then the square again. Between the cuboid and pentagonal prism is the rectangle. Next the link is rectangle again then the hexagon. Last of all the link is the triangle.
Do these make loops too? Alex and Katie from Woodfall Junior described how the links worked in their loop:
Cube connects to the cuboid by a square. Cuboid connects to the hexagonal prism by a rectangle. Hexagonal prism connects to the hexagonal based pyramid by a hexagon. Hexagonal based pyramid connects to the pentagonal based pyramid by an isoceles triangle. Pentagonal based pyramid connects to the pentagonal prism by a pentagon. Pentagonal prism connects to the triangular prism by a rectangle. Triangular prism connects to the square based pyramid by an equilateral triangle. Square based pyramid connects to the cube by a square.
Then we asked you how many different ways there are to make a loop.
Danny, aged 11, explained how he went about it: