Filter by: Content type: ALL Problems Articles Games Stage: All Stage 1&2 Stage 2&3 Stage 3&4 Stage 4&5 Challenge level:
Make a set of numbers that use all the digits from 1 to 9, once and once only. Add them up. The result is divisible by 9. Add each of the digits in the new number. What is their sum? Now try some. . . .
Find some examples of pairs of numbers such that their sum is a factor of their product. eg. 4 + 12 = 16 and 4 × 12 = 48 and 16 is a factor of 48.
Find some triples of whole numbers a, b and c such that a^2 + b^2 + c^2 is a multiple of 4. Is it necessarily the case that a, b and c must all be even? If so, can you explain why?
Imagine we have four bags containing a large number of 1s, 4s, 7s and 10s. What numbers can we make?
A three digit number abc is always divisible by 7 when 2a+3b+c is divisible by 7. Why?
Do you know a quick way to check if a number is a multiple of two? How about three, four or six?
In this activity, the computer chooses a times table and shifts it. Can you work out the table and the shift each time?
Twice a week I go swimming and swim the same number of lengths of the pool each time. As I swim, I count the lengths I've done so far, and make it into a fraction of the whole number of lengths. . . .
Choose any 3 digits and make a 6 digit number by repeating the 3 digits in the same order (e.g. 594594). Explain why whatever digits you choose the number will always be divisible by 7, 11 and 13.
A game for two people, or play online. Given a target number, say 23, and a range of numbers to choose from, say 1-4, players take it in turns to add to the running total to hit their target.
Ben passed a third of his counters to Jack, Jack passed a quarter of his counters to Emma and Emma passed a fifth of her counters to Ben. After this they all had the same number of counters.
What is the smallest number with exactly 14 divisors?
Take any two digit number, for example 58. What do you have to do to reverse the order of the digits? Can you find a rule for reversing the order of digits for any two digit number?
List any 3 numbers. It is always possible to find a subset of adjacent numbers that add up to a multiple of 3. Can you explain why and prove it?
For this challenge, you'll need to play Got It! Can you explain the strategy for winning this game with any target?
Can you find any perfect numbers? Read this article to find out more...
How many integers between 1 and 1200 are NOT multiples of any of the numbers 2, 3 or 5?
Find a cuboid (with edges of integer values) that has a surface area of exactly 100 square units. Is there more than one? Can you find them all?
The sum of the first 'n' natural numbers is a 3 digit number in which all the digits are the same. How many numbers have been summed?
I'm thinking of a number. When my number is divided by 5 the remainder is 4. When my number is divided by 3 the remainder is 2. Can you find my number?
Using the digits 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, mulitply a two two digit numbers are multiplied to give a four digit number, so that the expression is correct. How many different solutions can you find?
A mathematician goes into a supermarket and buys four items. Using a calculator she multiplies the cost instead of adding them. How can her answer be the same as the total at the till?
Rectangles are considered different if they vary in size or have different locations. How many different rectangles can be drawn on a chessboard?
Play the divisibility game to create numbers in which the first two digits make a number divisible by 2, the first three digits make a number divisible by 3...
Can you find a relationship between the number of dots on the circle and the number of steps that will ensure that all points are hit?
The number 8888...88M9999...99 is divisible by 7 and it starts with the digit 8 repeated 50 times and ends with the digit 9 repeated 50 times. What is the value of the digit M?
Some 4 digit numbers can be written as the product of a 3 digit number and a 2 digit number using the digits 1 to 9 each once and only once. The number 4396 can be written as just such a product. Can. . . .
The clues for this Sudoku are the product of the numbers in adjacent squares.
Can you find what the last two digits of the number $4^{1999}$ are?
Which pairs of cogs let the coloured tooth touch every tooth on the other cog? Which pairs do not let this happen? Why?
Follow this recipe for sieving numbers and see what interesting patterns emerge.
You are given the Lowest Common Multiples of sets of digits. Find the digits and then solve the Sudoku.
Can you find a way to identify times tables after they have been shifted up?
Here is a Sudoku with a difference! Use information about lowest common multiples to help you solve it.
The puzzle can be solved by finding the values of the unknown digits (all indicated by asterisks) in the squares of the $9\times9$ grid.
Can you work out what size grid you need to read our secret message?
Substitution and Transposition all in one! How fiendish can these codes get?
Imagine we have four bags containing numbers from a sequence. What numbers can we make now?
Find the frequency distribution for ordinary English, and use it to help you crack the code.
What is the smallest number of answers you need to reveal in order to work out the missing headers?
Here is a machine with four coloured lights. Can you develop a strategy to work out the rules controlling each light?
The number 12 = 2^2 × 3 has 6 factors. What is the smallest natural number with exactly 36 factors?
A game that tests your understanding of remainders.
The five digit number A679B, in base ten, is divisible by 72. What are the values of A and B?
Each letter represents a different positive digit AHHAAH / JOKE = HA What are the values of each of the letters?
Find the highest power of 11 that will divide into 1000! exactly.
Given the products of diagonally opposite cells - can you complete this Sudoku?
What can you say about the values of n that make $7^n + 3^n$ a multiple of 10? Are there other pairs of integers between 1 and 10 which have similar properties?
Find the number which has 8 divisors, such that the product of the divisors is 331776.
How many numbers less than 1000 are NOT divisible by either: a) 2 or 5; or b) 2, 5 or 7?