Six Discs
Age 14 to 16
Challenge Level 
Six circular discs, all of radius 1 unit, are packed in different-shaped boxes so that the discs touch their neighbours and the sides of the box.
- Without using any calculations, compare the areas of the bases of boxes A and B and say which is the larger.
- Use estimation to list the packings in order of increasing base area. Which are the hardest to put in order?
- Now calculate the area of the base of each box and compare the correct order with your estimate.
 |
||
You may also like
Coke Machine
The coke machine in college takes 50 pence pieces. It also takes a certain foreign coin of traditional design...
At a Glance
The area of a regular pentagon looks about twice as a big as the pentangle star drawn within it. Is it?
Cosines Rule
Three points A, B and C lie in this order on a line, and P is any point in the plane. Use the Cosine Rule to prove the following statement.