More Dicey Operations

In these multiplication and division games, you'll need to think strategically to get closest to the target.

More Dicey Operations printable sheet

More Dicey Operations scoring sheet

 

These challenges follow on from Dicey Operations.

If you know how to multiply and divide, you may enjoy these challenges. 

How close can you get to the target? 

Click on the purple cog to select from the available challenges.

How are you deciding where to put the digits?
Can you come up with a strategy for deciding where to place the digits so that you get as close as possible to the target in your first or second attempt?

If you are working away from a computer, you could treat this as a game for two people, or play in two teams of two.

Here are three examples of games you could play:

Game 1: target 1000

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A grid with 3 cells in the first row, 1 cell in the next row, so that these two numbers are to be multiplied together.
 

Game 2: target 10000

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A grid with 3 cells in the first row, 2 cells in the next row, so that these two numbers are to be multiplied together.
 

Game 3: target 1000 

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A grid representing the division of a 4-digit number by a 1-digit number.

There are two parts to this game, whether you choose Game 1, Game 2 or Game 3, or a version of your choice. The first part involves an element of chance and the second part involves careful reasoning.

Find a partner and a 1-6 dice, or preferably a 0-9 dice if you have one. 

Each player will need to draw a multiplication or a division grid that matches the game they've chosen. (Alternatively, there is a printable scoring sheet linked at the top of this page.)

Part 1

Throw the dice. Each player decides where to place that number in their own grid. Continue until all the cells are filled.

Whoever has the result closer to the target wins.

Part 2

This time, seeing the numbers thrown in part 1, each player decides where to place them on their own grid (as in the interactivity above).

Again, whoever has the result closer to the target wins.

 

There are two possible scoring systems for each part of the game:

  • A point for a win. The first person to reach 10 wins the game.
  • Each player keeps a running total of their 'penalty points', the difference between their result and the target after each round. First to 5000 loses.
You can vary the target to make it easier or more difficult.