November 2009, Stage 3&4

This month many of our problems focus on properties of number and calculating. 'Playing' with the mathematics of a situation is often a good way to get into a problem and several resources this month lend themselves to that approach.

Problems

Why not send us your solutions?

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Shifting Times Tables

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

Can you find a way to identify times tables after they have been shifted up?

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Going Round in Circles

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

Mathematicians are always looking for efficient methods for solving problems. How efficient can you be?

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Christmas Chocolates

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

How could Penny, Tom and Matthew work out how many chocolates there are in different sized boxes?

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Plus Minus

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

Can you explain the surprising results Jo found when she calculated the difference between square numbers?

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A Question of Scale

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

Use your skill and knowledge to place various scientific lengths in order of size. Can you judge the length of objects with sizes ranging from 1 Angstrom to 1 million km with no wrong attempts?

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What's Possible?

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

Many numbers can be expressed as the difference of two perfect squares. What do you notice about the numbers you CANNOT make?

Elsewhere...