Visualising and representing

  • Paving Paths
    problem

    Paving Paths

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    How many different ways can I lay 10 paving slabs, each 2 foot by 1 foot, to make a path 2 foot wide and 10 foot long from my back door into my garden, without cutting any of the paving slabs?
  • Tetra Square
    problem

    Tetra Square

    Age
    14 to 18
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    ABCD is a regular tetrahedron and the points P, Q, R and S are the midpoints of the edges AB, BD, CD and CA. Prove that PQRS is a square.
  • Cogs
    problem

    Cogs

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    A and B are two interlocking cogwheels having p teeth and q teeth respectively. One tooth on B is painted red. Find the values of p and q for which the red tooth on B contacts every gap on the cogwheel A as the wheels rotate.
  • Concrete calculation
    problem

    Concrete Calculation

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    The builders have dug a hole in the ground to be filled with concrete for the foundations of our garage. How many cubic metres of ready-mix concrete should the builders order to fill this hole to make the concrete raft for the foundations?
  • Tilting Triangles
    problem

    Tilting Triangles

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    A right-angled isosceles triangle is rotated about the centre point of a square. What can you say about the area of the part of the square covered by the triangle as it rotates?
  • Playground Snapshot
    problem

    Playground Snapshot

    Age
    7 to 14
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    The image in this problem is part of a piece of equipment found in the playground of a school. How would you describe it to someone over the phone?
  • Hidden Rectangles
    problem

    Hidden Rectangles

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    Rectangles are considered different if they vary in size or have different locations. How many different rectangles can be drawn on a chessboard?
  • Königsberg
    problem

    Königsberg

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star

    Can you cross each of the seven bridges that join the north and south of the river to the two islands, once and once only, without retracing your steps?

  • Clocked
    problem

    Clocked

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    Is it possible to rearrange the numbers 1,2......12 around a clock face in such a way that every two numbers in adjacent positions differ by any of 3, 4 or 5 hours?
  • All Tied Up
    problem

    All Tied Up

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    A ribbon runs around a box so that it makes a complete loop with two parallel pieces of ribbon on the top. How long will the ribbon be?