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Pebbles

Place four pebbles on the sand in the form of a square. Keep adding as few pebbles as necessary to double the area. How many extra pebbles are added each time?

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Adding All Nine

Make a set of numbers that use all the digits from 1 to 9, once and once only. Add them up. The result is divisible by 9. Add each of the digits in the new number. What is their sum? Now try some other possibilities for yourself!

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Have You Got It?

Can you explain the strategy for winning this game with any target?

Inclusion Exclusion

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3

Since this problem can be tackled in a variety of ways it can lead to useful discussions on the merits of different strategies.

If students disagree about the correct answer they can be challenged to develop convincing arguments that justify their conclusions.
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. More information on many of our other activities can be found here.
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NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.