### Consecutive Numbers

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

### Calendar Capers

Choose any three by three square of dates on a calendar page...

### Days and Dates

Investigate how you can work out what day of the week your birthday will be on next year, and the year after...

# The Elephant Diet

##### Age 11 to 14 ShortChallenge Level

Answer: $\frac13$ kg

Using words
Elephant portion = 365 rabbit portions
Rabbit portion = 1 rabbit portion
Total = 366 rabbit portions
366 rabbit portions = 122 kg
1 rabbit portion = 122$\div$366 = $\frac13$ kg of carrots.

Using algebra
Suppose the rabbit eats $r$ kg of carrots each day.

Then the elephant eats $365r$ kg of carrots each day.

Together, they eat 122 kg of carrots, so \begin{align} r+365r&=122\\ \Rightarrow 366r&=122\\ \Rightarrow r&=\tfrac{122}{366}\\ \Rightarrow r&=\tfrac13\end{align}

You can find more short problems, arranged by curriculum topic, in our short problems collection.