Representing - May 2009, Stage 1&2

Representations play a key role in problem-solving. When confronted by a mathematical situation, we often need to represent it in some way (for example pictures, diagrams and symbols) to help us make sense of it and move on. We also use representations to analyse and share outcomes. Often we need to make sense of other people’s representations, such as their use of tables, diagrams or symbols.

Problems

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Let's Investigate Triangles

Stage: 1 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

Vincent and Tara are making triangles with the class construction set. They have a pile of strips of different lengths. How many different triangles can they make?

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The Tomato and the Bean

Stage: 1 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3

At the beginning of May Tom put his tomato plant outside. On the same day he sowed a bean in another pot. When will the two be the same height?

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Jigsaw Pieces

Stage: 1 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3

Imagine that the puzzle pieces of a jigsaw are roughly a rectangular shape and all the same size. How many different puzzle pieces could there be?

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Lawn Border

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

If I use 12 green tiles to represent my lawn, how many different ways could I arrange them? How many border tiles would I need each time?

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A Flying Holiday

Stage: 2 Short Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

Follow the journey taken by this bird and let us know for how long and in what direction it must fly to return to its starting point.

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Mystery Matrix

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

Can you fill in this table square? The numbers 2 -12 were used to generate it with just one number used twice.

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Dodecamagic

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

Here you see the front and back views of a dodecahedron. Each vertex has been numbered so that the numbers around each pentagonal face add up to 65. Can you find all the missing numbers?

Elsewhere...