You may also like

problem icon

Two Clocks

These clocks have only one hand, but can you work out what time they are showing from the information?

problem icon

It's a Fence!

In this challenge, you will work in a group to investigate circular fences enclosing trees that are planted in square or triangular arrangements.

problem icon

Counting Cogs

Which pairs of cogs let the coloured tooth touch every tooth on the other cog? Which pairs do not let this happen? Why?

Sorting the Numbers

Stage: 1 and 2 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

Well how about doing a simple jigsaw ?

heading
This problem has been designed to be worked on in a group of about four. For more details about how you might go about doing this, please read the Teachers' Notes.

1. There are two jigsaw puzzles that your teacher can print out for you from here.

Complete each jigsaw and then put the pieces into the outline squares, which can be printed from here.

new blanks

2. Place the smaller square of numbers on top of the other larger square in any way you like so that the small centimetre squares match up. (You may find it easier to copy the numbers on the smaller square onto a transparent sheet.)

3. Explore what happens when you add together the numbers that appear one on top of the other.

4. In your group, explore any other ideas that you come up with.

When you've looked at the thirty six combinations then you probably need to ask, "I wonder what would happen if we ...?". Change one small thing, explore that and then compare your two sets of results.

You might like to ask, "Why ...?".
The NRICH Project aims to enrich the mathematical experiences of all learners. To support this aim, members of the NRICH team work in a wide range of capacities, including providing professional development for teachers wishing to embed rich mathematical tasks into everyday classroom practice. More information on many of our other activities can be found here.
Copyright © 1997 - 2012. University of Cambridge. All rights reserved.
NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.