### Consecutive Numbers

An investigation involving adding and subtracting sets of consecutive numbers. Lots to find out, lots to explore.

### Have You Got It?

Can you explain the strategy for winning this game with any target?

### Pair Sums

Five numbers added together in pairs produce: 0, 2, 4, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15 What are the five numbers?

# Making a Difference

##### Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:

There are a number of ways the digits $2, 5, 7, 8$ can be placed in a subtraction sum like the one below:

In this example, the answer is 29.

Can you rearrange the digits to find all the (positive) answers it is possible to make?

Here are two follow-up questions you might like to consider:
• Can you work out which four digits you need to start with to be able to get all the possible answers $7, 9, 11, 13, 18, 22, 29$ and $31$?

• Can you show that, if we're only allowed to use consecutive digits (e.g. $5, 6, 7, 8$), $31$ is the largest possible answer and $7$ is the smallest?

With thanks to Don Steward, whose ideas formed the basis of this problem.