nrich
enriching mathematics
Skip over navigation
Home
Home
Students
Guide and features
Teachers
Guide and features
STEM
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
AskNRICH
Forum
early years
Featured Early Years Foundation Stage; US Kindergarten
Early years
primary
Featured UK Key Stage 1&2; US Grades 1-4
Primary teachers
secondary
Featured UK Key Stage 3-5; US Grades 5-12
Secondary teachers
primary lower
Featured UK Key Stage 1, US Grade 1 & 2
primary
primary
Featured UK Key Stage 2; US Grade 3 & 4
secondary lower
Featured UK Key Stages 3 & 4; US Grade 5-10
secondary
secondary upper
Featured UK Key Stage 4 & 5; US Grade 11 & 12
Topics
translate
Challenge from Westdene Primary, Brighton
Stage: 2 and 3
Challenge Level:
Tom Kimber, a teacher at Westdene Primary School in Brighton emailed us to say:
I am a MaST teacher who was lucky enough to be at one of your recent NRICH events in London. I got into a really interesting mathematical discussion with some very advanced pupils in my class about the pattern of the units column in numbers-to-the-power-of.
Anyway, after a long and convoluted journey through many different mathematical areas, it has reached a concluding* question. I thought I'd share it with you as my children have ENJOYED getting their teeth into it:
Look at this calculation:
$7^x + 9^y =$
I get a random number generator to generate two random whole numbers. The first one it generates I place in position $x$. The second number it generates I put at position $y$. What is the probability that, when I complete the calculation $7^x + 9^y =$, I will get a number that is a multiple of $10$ as my answer?
Hope you find it as interesting as we are!
* - I say concluding... probably not!