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Exploring Wild & Wonderful Number Patterns
EWWNP means Exploring Wild and Wonderful Number Patterns Created by Yourself! Investigate what happens if we create number patterns using some simple rules.
Sending Cards
This challenge asks you to investigate the total number of cards that would be sent if four children send one to all three others. How many would be sent if there were five children? Six?
Dice and Spinner Numbers
If you had any number of ordinary dice, what are the possible ways of making their totals 6? What would the product of the dice be each time?
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
The Number Crunching Machine
Put a number at the top of the machine and collect a number at the bottom.
What do you get?
Which numbers get back to themselves?
Why do this problem?
This problem is an amusing and thought-provoking way of practising addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. The results are diverse enough to keep learners working for a considerable time and to encourage methodical working. This sheet might be helpful.
Key questions
What operation do you need to do next?
Would it be a good idea to jot down your calculations as you go?
What numbers have you put in so far?
Have you made a list of the numbers you have already done?
How many numbers have you found that come out unchanged?
Possible extension
Learners could make their own number-crunching machine and try it out on their friends.
Possible support
Suggest trying with different numbers below $50$. It may help to make a version going across the page with arrows or you could use this sheet.
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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.