Maths supporting SET

problem

Favourite

Order, order!

Age

5 to 11

Challenge level

Can you place these quantities in order from smallest to largest?

problem

Curve spotting

Age

5 to 7

Challenge level

Can you spot circles, spirals and other types of curves in these photos?

problem

First forward into Logo 3: repeat REPEAT

Age

7 to 16

Challenge level

More Logo for beginners. Now learn more about the REPEAT command.

article

Plaiting and braiding

This article for students gives some instructions about how to make some different braids.

problem

In order

Age

7 to 11

Challenge level

Can you rank these quantities in order? You may need to find out extra information or perform some experiments to justify your rankings.

article

STEM clubs

Details of our activities deigned for STEM clubs.

problem

First forward into Logo 1: square five

Age

7 to 16

Challenge level

A Short introduction to using Logo. This is the first in a twelve part series.

problem

First forward into Logo 2: polygons

Age

7 to 16

Challenge level

This is the second in a twelve part introduction to Logo for beginners. In this part you learn to draw polygons.

problem

First forward into Logo 4: circles

Age

7 to 16

Challenge level

Learn how to draw circles using Logo. Wait a minute! Are they really circles? If not what are they?

project

Avalanche!

Investigate how avalanches occur and how they can be controlled

problem

Order the changes

Age

7 to 11

Challenge level

Can you order pictures of the development of a frog from frogspawn and of a bean seed growing into a plant?

project

Helicopters

Design and test a paper helicopter. What is the best design?

problem

First forward into Logo 5: pen up, pen down

Age

7 to 16

Challenge level

Learn about Pen Up and Pen Down in Logo

article

The moving planets

Mathematics has always been a powerful tool for studying, measuring and calculating the movements of the planets, and this article gives several examples.

project

Many natural systems appear to be in equilibrium until suddenly a critical point is reached, setting up a mudslide or an avalanche or an earthquake. In this project, students will use a simple simulation game to investigate the properties of such systems.

article

Eclipses of the sun

Mathematics has allowed us now to measure lots of things about eclipses and so calculate exactly when they will happen, where they can be seen from, and what they will look like.

project

Flip your mat!

What shape and size of drinks mat is best for flipping and catching?

problem

Favourite

Mixing lemonade

Age

11 to 14

Challenge level

Can you work out which drink has the stronger flavour?

article

Shaping the universe II - the solar system

The second in a series of articles on visualising and modelling shapes in the history of astronomy.

project

Make your own pencil case

What shape would fit your pens and pencils best? How can you make it?

article

Shaping the universe III - to infinity and beyond

The third installment in our series on the shape of astronomical systems, this article explores galaxies and the universe beyond our solar system.

problem

Favourite

Reaction timer

Age

11 to 14

Challenge level

This problem offers you two ways to test reactions - use them to investigate your ideas about speeds of reaction.

problem

Favourite

Place your orders

Age

11 to 14

Challenge level

Can you rank these sets of quantities in order, from smallest to largest? Can you provide convincing evidence for your rankings?

problem

Favourite

Temperature

Age

11 to 14

Challenge level

Is there a temperature at which Celsius and Fahrenheit readings are the same?

problem

Big and small numbers in the living world

Age

11 to 16

Challenge level

Work with numbers big and small to estimate and calculate various quantities in biological contexts.

problem

Food chains

Age

11 to 14

Challenge level

When a habitat changes, what happens to the food chain?

problem

Pinhole camera

Age

11 to 14

Challenge level

Make your own pinhole camera for safe observation of the sun, and find out how it works.

problem

Designing table mats

Age

11 to 16

Challenge level

Formulate and investigate a simple mathematical model for the design of a table mat.

problem

First forward into Logo 10: count up - count down

Age

11 to 18

Challenge level

What happens when a procedure calls itself?

problem

Witch's hat

Age

11 to 16

Challenge level

What shapes should Elly cut out to make a witch's hat? How can she make a taller hat?

problem

Perspective drawing

Age

11 to 16

Challenge level

Explore the properties of perspective drawing.

problem

Favourite

Fill me up

Age

11 to 14

Challenge level

Can you sketch graphs to show how the height of water changes in different containers as they are filled?

problem

Oblique projection

Age

11 to 14

Challenge level

Explore the properties of oblique projection.

problem

First forward into Logo 6: variables and procedures

Age

11 to 18

Challenge level

Learn to write procedures and build them into Logo programs. Learn to use variables.

problem

Toad in the hole

Age

11 to 14

Challenge level

Is it cheaper to cook a meal from scratch or to buy a ready meal? What difference does the number of people you're cooking for make?

problem

First forward into Logo 7: angles of polygons

Age

11 to 18

Challenge level

More Logo for beginners. Learn to calculate exterior angles and draw regular polygons using procedures and variables.

problem

First forward into Logo 9: stars

Age

11 to 18

Challenge level

Turn through bigger angles and draw stars with Logo.

problem

First forward into Logo 8: more about variables

Age

11 to 18

Challenge level

Write a Logo program, putting in variables, and see the effect when you change the variables.

project

Investigating epidemics

Simple models which help us to investigate how epidemics grow and die out.

problem

First forward into Logo 11: sequences

Age

11 to 18

Challenge level

This part introduces the use of Logo for number work. Learn how to use Logo to generate sequences of numbers.

problem

Chocolate cake

Age

11 to 14

Challenge level

If I don't have the size of cake tin specified in my recipe, will the size I do have be OK?

article

Shaping the universe I - planet Earth

This article explores ths history of theories about the shape of our planet. It is the first in a series of articles looking at the significance of geometric shapes in the history of astronomy.

problem

First forward into Logo 12: puzzling sums

Age

11 to 18

Challenge level

Can you puzzle out what sequences these Logo programs will give? Then write your own Logo programs to generate sequences.

problem

Stadium sightline

Age

14 to 18

Challenge level

How would you design the tiering of seats in a stadium so that all spectators have a good view?

problem

Guessing the graph

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

Can you suggest a curve to fit some experimental data? Can you work out where the data might have come from?

problem

Favourite

Fill me up too

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

In Fill Me Up we invited you to sketch graphs as vessels are filled with water. Can you work out the equations of the graphs?

problem

Favourite

Far horizon

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

An observer is on top of a lighthouse. How far from the foot of the lighthouse is the horizon that the observer can see?

problem

How do you react?

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

To investigate the relationship between the distance the ruler drops and the time taken, we need to do some mathematical modelling...

problem

Construct the solar system

Age

14 to 18

Challenge level

Make an accurate diagram of the solar system and explore the concept of a grand conjunction.

problem

Favourite

What's that graph?

Age

14 to 18

Challenge level

Can you work out which processes are represented by the graphs?

problem

Big and small numbers in biology

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

Work with numbers big and small to estimate and calulate various quantities in biological contexts.

problem

More or less?

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

Are these estimates of physical quantities accurate?

problem

Choose your units

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

Which units would you choose best to fit these situations?

problem

What's the point of squash?

Age

14 to 18

Challenge level

Under which circumstances would you choose to play to 10 points in a game of squash which is currently tied at 8-all?

problem

Big and small numbers in the physical world

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

Work with numbers big and small to estimate and calculate various quantities in physical contexts.

problem

Efficient packing

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

How efficiently can you pack together disks?

problem

Mystery procedure

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

Can you work out what this procedure is doing?

problem

Investigating the dilution series

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

Which dilutions can you make using only 10ml pipettes?

problem

Counting dolphins

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

How would you go about estimating populations of dolphins?

problem

Favourite

A question of scale

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

Use your skill and knowledge to place various scientific lengths in order of size. Can you judge the length of objects with sizes ranging from 1 Angstrom to 1 million km with no wrong attempts?

problem

Global warming

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

How much energy has gone into warming the planet?

problem

David and Goliath

Age

14 to 18

Challenge level

Does weight confer an advantage to shot putters?

problem

Big and small numbers in physics

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

Work out the numerical values for these physical quantities.

problem

Biology measurement challenge

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

Analyse these beautiful biological images and attempt to rank them in size order.

problem

Approximately certain

Age

14 to 18

Challenge level

Estimate these curious quantities sufficiently accurately that you can rank them in order of size

problem

Genetics

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

A problem about genetics and the transmission of disease.

problem

Favourite

Back fitter

Age

14 to 18

Challenge level

10 graphs of experimental data are given. Can you use a spreadsheet to find algebraic graphs which match them closely, and thus discover the formulae most likely to govern the underlying processes?

problem

Big and small numbers in chemistry

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

Get some practice using big and small numbers in chemistry.

problem

Carbon footprints

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

Is it really greener to go on the bus, or to buy local?

problem

Bent out of shape

Age

14 to 18

Challenge level

An introduction to bond angle geometry.

problem

Robot camera

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

Could nanotechnology be used to see if an artery is blocked? Or is this just science fiction?

problem

Constantly changing

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

Many physical constants are only known to a certain accuracy. Explore the numerical error bounds in the mass of water and its constituents.

problem

Electric kettle

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

Explore the relationship between resistance and temperature

problem

Perfect eclipse

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

Use trigonometry to determine whether solar eclipses on earth can be perfect.

problem

Where are you flying?

Age

14 to 18

Challenge level

Where do people fly to from London? What is good and bad about these representations?

problem

CSI: chemical scene investigation

Age

16 to 18

Challenge level

There has been a murder on the Stevenson estate. Use your analytical chemistry skills to assess the crime scene and identify the cause of death...

article

The mathematical problems faced by advanced STEM students

STEM students at university often encounter mathematical difficulties. This articles highlights the various content problems and the 7 key process problems encountered by STEM students.