You may also like
Consecutive Numbers
An investigation involving adding and subtracting sets of consecutive numbers. Lots to find out, lots to explore.
Tea Cups
Place the 16 different combinations of cup/saucer in this 4 by 4 arrangement so that no row or column contains more than one cup or saucer of the same colour.
Counting on Letters
The letters of the word ABACUS have been arranged in the shape of a triangle. How many different ways can you find to read the word ABACUS from this triangular pattern?
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
Alison's cinema has 100 seats.
One day, Alison notices that her cinema is full, and she has taken exactly £100.
The prices were:
Adults £3.50
Pensioners £1.00
Children £0.85
She knows that not everyone in the audience was a pensioner.
How many adults, pensioners and children were present?
Can there be 100 people and takings of exactly £100 if the prices are:
Adults £4.00
Pensioners £1.00
Children £0.50
What if the prices are:
Adults £5.00
Pensioners £2.50
Children £0.50
Here are some questions you might like to consider:
- How many solutions are there for each set of prices?
- If I can find one solution, can I use it to help me find all the other solutions?
- Can you find alternative sets of prices that offer many solutions?
- What about exactly one solution?
- If a children's film has an audience of 3 children for every adult (no pensioners), how could the prices be set to take exactly £100 when all the seats are sold?
- What about a family film where adults, children and pensioners come along in the ratio 2:2:1?
Copyright © 1997 - 2020. University of Cambridge. All rights reserved.
NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.
NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.