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Resources tagged with Calculating with fractions similar to Weekly Problem 47 - 2010:

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Broad Topics > Fractions, Decimals, Percentages, Ratio and Proportion > Calculating with fractions

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Twisting and Turning

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

Take a look at the video and try to find a sequence of moves that will take you back to zero.

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All Tangled Up

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3

Can you tangle yourself up and reach any fraction?

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More Twisting and Turning

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:2 Challenge Level:2

It would be nice to have a strategy for disentangling any tangled ropes...

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The Greedy Algorithm

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3

The Egyptians expressed all fractions as the sum of different unit fractions. The Greedy Algorithm might provide us with an efficient way of doing this.

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Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3

Two brothers were left some money, amounting to an exact number of pounds, to divide between them. DEE undertook the division. "But your heap is larger than mine!" cried DUM...

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Keep it Simple

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

Can all unit fractions be written as the sum of two unit fractions?

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Fractions Jigsaw

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

A jigsaw where pieces only go together if the fractions are equivalent.

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Egyptian Fractions

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:2 Challenge Level:2

The Egyptians expressed all fractions as the sum of different unit fractions. Here is a chance to explore how they could have written different fractions.

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Harmonic Triangle

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3

Can you see how to build a harmonic triangle? Can you work out the next two rows?

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Sum Equals Product

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:2 Challenge Level:2

The sum of the numbers 4 and 1 [1/3] is the same as the product of 4 and 1 [1/3]; that is to say 4 + 1 [1/3] = 4 × 1 [1/3]. What other numbers have the sum equal to the product and can this be so for. . . .

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Special Sums and Products

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3

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.

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Ben's Game

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3

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.

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Lower Bound

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

What would you get if you continued this sequence of fraction sums? 1/2 + 2/1 = 2/3 + 3/2 = 3/4 + 4/3 =

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Unit Fractions

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3

Consider the equation 1/a + 1/b + 1/c = 1 where a, b and c are natural numbers and 0 < a < b < c. Prove that there is only one set of values which satisfy this equation.

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Blue and White

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

In the four examples below identical squares of side one unit contain some circles shaded blue. In which of the four examples is the shaded area greatest?

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A Chance to Win?

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3

Imagine you were given the chance to win some money... and imagine you had nothing to lose...

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Fair Shares?

Stage: 4 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:2 Challenge Level:2

A mother wants to share a sum of money by giving each of her children in turn a lump sum plus a fraction of the remainder. How can she do this in order to share the money out equally?

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Peaches Today, Peaches Tomorrow....

Stage: 3 and 4 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:2 Challenge Level:2

Whenever a monkey has peaches, he always keeps a fraction of them each day, gives the rest away, and then eats one. How long could he make his peaches last for?

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Hello Again

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3

Anne completes a circuit around a circular track in 40 seconds. Brenda runs in the opposite direction and meets Anne every 15 seconds. How long does it take Brenda to run around the track?

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Mixing Lemonade

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

Can you work out which drink has the stronger flavour?

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Diminishing Returns

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:2 Challenge Level:2

In this problem, we have created a pattern from smaller and smaller squares. If we carried on the pattern forever, what proportion of the image would be coloured blue?

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Mathematical Swimmer

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3

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. . . .

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There's a Limit

Stage: 4 and 5 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

Explore the continued fraction: 2+3/(2+3/(2+3/2+...)) What do you notice when successive terms are taken? What happens to the terms if the fraction goes on indefinitely?

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Turning Tangles

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3

Look carefully at the video of a tangle and explain what's happening.

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Shopping Basket

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3

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?

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3388

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:2 Challenge Level:2

Using some or all of the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division and using the digits 3, 3, 8 and 8 each once and only once make an expression equal to 24.

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One or Both

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:2 Challenge Level:2

Problem one was solved by 70% of the pupils. Problem 2 was solved by 60% of them. Every pupil solved at least one of the problems. Nine pupils solved both problems. How many pupils took the exam?

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Fracmax

Stage: 4 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3

Find the maximum value of 1/p + 1/q + 1/r where this sum is less than 1 and p, q, and r are positive integers.

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Ratios and Dilutions

Stage: 4 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3

Scientists often require solutions which are diluted to a particular concentration. In this problem, you can explore the mathematics of simple dilutions

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Archimedes and Numerical Roots

Stage: 4 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:2 Challenge Level:2

The problem is how did Archimedes calculate the lengths of the sides of the polygons which needed him to be able to calculate square roots?

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Hands Together

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3

Sometime during every hour the minute hand lies directly above the hour hand. At what time between 4 and 5 o'clock does this happen?

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Not Continued Fractions

Stage: 4 and 5 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

Which rational numbers cannot be written in the form x + 1/(y + 1/z) where x, y and z are integers?

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Tray Bake

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

My recipe is for 12 cakes - how do I change it if I want to make a different number of cakes?

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Countdown Fractions

Stage: 3 and 4 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

Here is a chance to play a fractions version of the classic Countdown Game.

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Investigating the Dilution Series

Stage: 4 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:2 Challenge Level:2

Which dilutions can you make using only 10ml pipettes?


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