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The Spider and the Fly

Age 14 to 16
Challenge Level

The Spider and the Fly printable sheet


A spider is sitting in the middle of one of the smallest walls in my living room and a fly is resting by the side of the window on the opposite wall, 1.5m above the ground and 0.5m from the adjacent wall.

The room is 5m long, 4m wide and 2.5m high.

What is the shortest distance the spider would have to crawl to catch the fly?

 

room

 

If the fly walks down the wall, is there a point at which the spider would be better changing its route?

The NRICH Project aims to enrich the mathematical experiences of all learners. To support this aim, members of the NRICH team work in a wide range of capacities, including providing professional development for teachers wishing to embed rich mathematical tasks into everyday classroom practice.
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