List

Problems



Here is a collection of ours - and Libby's - favourite problems which we have enjoyed both at Cambridge and in the classroom!
One Basket or Group Photo
problem

One basket or group photo

Age
7 to 18
Challenge level
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Libby Jared helped to set up NRICH and this is one of her favourite problems. It's a problem suitable for a wide age range and best tackled practically.
Nine Colours
problem
Favourite

Nine colours

Age
11 to 16
Challenge level
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Can you use small coloured cubes to make a 3 by 3 by 3 cube so that each face of the bigger cube contains one of each colour?
Painted Cube
problem
Favourite

Painted cube

Age
14 to 16
Challenge level
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Imagine a large cube made from small red cubes being dropped into a pot of yellow paint. How many of the small cubes will have yellow paint on their faces?
Odds and Evens
problem
Favourite

Odds and evens

Age
11 to 14
Challenge level
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Are these games fair? How can you tell?
Factors and Multiples Puzzle
problem
Favourite

Factors and multiples puzzle

Age
11 to 14
Challenge level
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Using your knowledge of the properties of numbers, can you fill all the squares on the board?
Your number is...
problem
Favourite

Your number is...

Age
7 to 14
Challenge level
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Think of a number and follow the machine's instructions... I know what your number is! Can you explain how I know?
Tilted Squares
problem
Favourite

Tilted squares

Age
11 to 14
Challenge level
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It's easy to work out the areas of most squares that we meet, but what if they were tilted?

Number Pyramids
problem
Favourite

Number pyramids

Age
11 to 14
Challenge level
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Try entering different sets of numbers in the number pyramids. How does the total at the top change?

Cuboid challenge
problem
Favourite

Cuboid challenge

Age
11 to 16
Challenge level
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What's the largest volume of box you can make from a square of paper?