Spreadsheets

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Excel technique: using paste special to lift a copy of values

Learn how to use advanced pasting techniques to create interactive spreadsheets.

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Excel investigation: more beads

A heap of beads was shared out by a professional bead sharer. Use the information given to find out how many beads there were at the start.

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Excel interactive resource: interactive division

Use an Excel to investigate division. Explore the relationships between the process elements using an interactive spreadsheet.

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Excel technique: conditional formatting

Learn how to use conditional formatting to create attractive interactive spreadsheets in Excel.

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Excel investigation: number pyramids

Use Excel to create some number pyramids. How are the numbers in the base line related to each other? Investigate using the spreadsheet.

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Excel investigation: Pascal multiples

This spreadsheet highlights multiples of numbers up to 20 in Pascal's triangle. What patterns can you see?

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Excel investigation: power crazy

When is 7^n + 3^n a multiple of 10? Use Excel to investigate, and try to explain what you find out.

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Excel interactive resource: number grid functions

Use Excel to investigate the effect of translations around a number grid.

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Excel technique: triangular arrays by turning off zeros

Learn how to use Excel to create triangular arrays.

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Excel investigation: Happy numbers

Take any whole number between 1 and 999, add the squares of the digits to get a new number. Use a spreadsheet to investigate this sequence.

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Excel interactive resource: long multiplication

Use an Excel spreadsheet to explore long multiplication.

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Excel interactive resource: equivalent fraction bars

A simple file for the Interactive whiteboard or PC screen, demonstrating equivalent fractions.

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Excel technique: LOOKUP functions

Learn how to use lookup functions to create exciting interactive Excel spreadsheets.

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Excel investigation: planks

I have an unlimited supply of planks, of lengths 7 and 9 units. Putting planks end to end, what total lengths can be achieved? Use Excel to investigate.

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Excel investigation: target decimal

Use an Excel spreadsheet to approximate a decimal using trial and improvement.

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Excel interactive resource: multiples chain

Use an interactive Excel spreadsheet to investigate factors and multiples.

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Excel interactive resource: the up and down game

Use an interactive Excel spreadsheet to explore number in this exciting game!

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Excel technique: logic tests

Learn how to use logic tests to create interactive resources using Excel.

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Excel investigation: difference tuples

Use an Excel spreadsheet to investigate differences between four numbers. Which set of start numbers give the longest run before becoming 0 0 0 0?

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Excel investigation: fraction combinations

Choose four numbers and make two fractions. Use an Excel spreadsheet to investigate their properties. Can you generalise?

Excel interactive resource: Fraction Addition & Fraction
Subtraction

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Excel interactive resource: fraction addition and fraction subtraction

Use Excel to practise adding and subtracting fractions.

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Excel interactive resource: fraction multiplication

Use Excel to explore multiplication of fractions.

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Excel technique: LCM and HCF (or GCD)

Learn how to use the Excel functions LCM and GCD.

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Excel investigation: beads

Use Excel to investigate remainders and divisors. Was your result predictable?

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Excel investigation: multiples of three

Use Excel to investigate digit sums of multiples of three. Can you explain your findings?

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Excel technique: composite bar charts

Learn how to use composite bar charts in Excel.

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Excel investigation: Pythagorean triples

Use Excel to find sets of three numbers so that the sum of the squares of the first two is equal to the square of the third.

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Excel investigation: ring on a string

This investigation uses Excel to optimise a characteristic of interest.

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Excel investigation: sums of consecutive numbers

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Excel investigation: the difference of two (same) powers

If you take two integers and look at the difference between the square of each value, there is a nice relationship between the original numbers and that difference. Can you find the pattern using Excel?

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Getting to know Excel

A number of useful techniques that can extend your use of Excel.

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Excel interactive resource: make a copy

Investigate factors and multiples using this interactive Excel spreadsheet. Use the increment buttons for experimentation and feedback.

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Excel interactive resource: haitch

An Excel spreadsheet with an investigation.

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Excel technique: making a table for a function of two independent

Learn how to make a simple table using Excel.

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Excel technique: inserting an increment button

Learn how to use increment buttons and scroll bars to create interactive Excel resources.

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Excel interactive resource: x marks the spot

Challenge level

Use Excel to investigate multiplication and number.

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Plates of biscuits

Age

7 to 11

Challenge level

Can you rearrange the biscuits on the plates so that the three biscuits on each plate are all different and there is no plate with two biscuits the same as two biscuits on another plate?

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Multiples grid

Age

7 to 11

Challenge level

What do the numbers shaded in blue on this hundred square have in common? What do you notice about the pink numbers? How about the shaded numbers in the other squares?

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Factor-multiple chains

Age

7 to 11

Challenge level

Can you see how these factor-multiple chains work? Find the chain which contains the smallest possible numbers. How about the largest possible numbers?

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Substitution cipher

Age

11 to 14

Challenge level

Find the frequency distribution for ordinary English, and use it to help you crack the code.

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Take ten sticks

Age

11 to 16

Challenge level

Take ten sticks in heaps any way you like. Make a new heap using one from each of the heaps. By repeating that process could the arrangement 7 - 1 - 1 - 1 ever turn up, except by starting with it?

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What's the weather like?

Age

11 to 14

Challenge level

With access to weather station data, what interesting questions can you investigate?

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Sending a parcel

Age

11 to 14

Challenge level

What is the greatest volume you can get for a rectangular (cuboid) parcel if the maximum combined length and girth are 2 metres?

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Time of birth

Age

11 to 14

Challenge level

A woman was born in a year that was a square number, lived a square number of years and died in a year that was also a square number. When was she born?

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Litov's mean value theorem

Age

11 to 14

Challenge level

Start with two numbers and generate a sequence where the next number is the mean of the last two numbers...

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Cola can

Age

11 to 14

Challenge level

An aluminium can contains 330 ml of cola. If the can's diameter is 6 cm what is the can's height?

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Under the ribbon

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

A ribbon is nailed down with a small amount of slack. What is the largest cube that can pass under the ribbon ?

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Euler's squares

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

Euler found four whole numbers such that the sum of any two of the numbers is a perfect square...

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Odd differences

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

The diagram illustrates the formula: 1 + 3 + 5 + ... + (2n - 1) = n² Use the diagram to show that any odd number is the difference of two squares.

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Tree tops

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

Can you make sense of information about trees in order to maximise the profits of a forestry company?

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Training schedule

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

The heptathlon is an athletics competition consisting of 7 events. Can you make sense of the scoring system in order to advise a heptathlete on the best way to reach her target?

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Pythagoras' comma

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

Using an understanding that 1:2 and 2:3 were good ratios, start with a length and keep reducing it to 2/3 of itself. Each time that took the length under 1/2 they doubled it to get back within range.

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Minus one two three

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

Substitute -1, -2 or -3, into an algebraic expression and you'll get three results. Is it possible to tell in advance which of those three will be the largest ?

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Negative powers

Age

14 to 18

Challenge level

What does this number mean? Which order of 1, 2, 3 and 4 makes the highest value? Which makes the lowest?

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The fire-fighter's car keys

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

A fire-fighter needs to fill a bucket of water from the river and take it to a fire. What is the best point on the river bank for the fire-fighter to fill the bucket ?.

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The legacy

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

Your school has been left a million pounds in the will of an ex- pupil. What model of investment and spending would you use in order to ensure the best return on the money?

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Zeller's birthday

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

What day of the week were you born on? Do you know? Here's a way to find out.

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Peaches in general

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

It's like 'Peaches Today, Peaches Tomorrow' but interestingly generalized.

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Peeling the apple or the cone that lost its head

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

How much peel does an apple have?

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There's always one isn't there

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

Take any pair of numbers, say 9 and 14. Take the larger number, fourteen, and count up in 14s. Then divide each of those values by the 9, and look at the remainders.

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Dating made easier

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

If a sum invested gains 10% each year how long before it has doubled its value?

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Funnel

Age

14 to 16

Challenge level

A plastic funnel is used to pour liquids through narrow apertures. What shape funnel would use the least amount of plastic to manufacture for any specific volume ?