Match pairs of cards so that they have equivalent ratios.
Points P, Q, R and S each divide the sides AB, BC, CD and DA respectively in the ratio of 2 : 1. Join the points. What is the area of the parallelogram PQRS in relation to the original rectangle?
Two boats travel up and down a lake. Can you picture where they will cross if you know how fast each boat is travelling?
A cyclist and a runner start off simultaneously around a race track each going at a constant speed. The cyclist goes all the way around and then catches up with the runner. He then instantly turns. . . .
Two motorboats travelling up and down a lake at constant speeds leave opposite ends A and B at the same instant, passing each other, for the first time 600 metres from A, and on their return, 400. . . .
Find the ratio of the outer shaded area to the inner area for a six pointed star and an eight pointed star.
In the diagram the radius length is 10 units, OP is 8 units and OQ is 6 units. If the distance PQ is 5 units what is the distance P'Q' ?
The scale on a piano does something clever : the ratio (interval) between any adjacent points on the scale is equal. If you play any note, twelve points higher will be exactly an octave on.
We use statistics to give ourselves an informed view on a subject of interest. This problem explores how to scale countries on a map to represent characteristics other than land area.
The Pythagoreans noticed that nice simple ratios of string length made nice sounds together.
If the sides of the triangle in the diagram are 3, 4 and 5, what is the area of the shaded square?
Take any rectangle ABCD such that AB > BC. The point P is on AB and Q is on CD. Show that there is exactly one position of P and Q such that APCQ is a rhombus.
Rectangle PQRS has X and Y on the edges. Triangles PQY, YRX and XSP have equal areas. Prove X and Y divide the sides of PQRS in the golden ratio.
What is the ratio of the area of a square inscribed in a semicircle to the area of the square inscribed in the entire circle?
Can you find an efficent way to mix paints in any ratio?
Can you work out how to produce different shades of pink paint?
The diagonals of a trapezium divide it into four parts. Can you create a trapezium where three of those parts are equal in area?
Which exact dilution ratios can you make using only 2 dilutions?
How long will it take Mary and Nigel to wash an elephant if they work together?
In a race the odds are: 2 to 1 against the rhinoceros winning and 3 to 2 against the hippopotamus winning. What are the odds against the elephant winning if the race is fair?
What angle is needed for a ball to do a circuit of the billiard table and then pass through its original position?
A farmer is supplying a mix of seeds, nuts and dried apricots to a manufacturer of crunchy cereal bars. What combination of ingredients costing £5 per kg could he supply?
A ladder 3m long rests against a wall with one end a short distance from its base. Between the wall and the base of a ladder is a garden storage box 1m tall and 1m high. What is the maximum distance. . . .
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.
A garrison of 600 men has just enough bread ... but, with the news that the enemy was planning an attack... How many ounces of bread a day must each man in the garrison be allowed, to hold out 45. . . .
A circle of radius r touches two sides of a right angled triangle, sides x and y, and has its centre on the hypotenuse. Can you prove the formula linking x, y and r?
An article for teachers which discusses the differences between ratio and proportion, and invites readers to contribute their own thoughts.
The diagram shows a regular pentagon with sides of unit length. Find all the angles in the diagram. Prove that the quadrilateral shown in red is a rhombus.
At the beginning of the night three poker players; Alan, Bernie and Craig had money in the ratios 7 : 6 : 5. At the end of the night the ratio was 6 : 5 : 4. One of them won $1 200. What were the. . . .
Mike and Monisha meet at the race track, which is 400m round. Just to make a point, Mike runs anticlockwise whilst Monisha runs clockwise. Where will they meet on their way around and will they ever. . . .
The Earth is further from the Sun than Venus, but how much further? Twice as far? Ten times?
Scientists often require solutions which are diluted to a particular concentration. In this problem, you can explore the mathematics of simple dilutions
What's the most efficient proportion for a 1 litre tin of paint?
Two buses leave at the same time from two towns Shipton and Veston on the same long road, travelling towards each other. At each mile along the road are milestones. The buses' speeds are constant. . . .
A trapezium is divided into four triangles by its diagonals. Can you work out the area of the trapezium?
Straight lines are drawn from each corner of a square to the mid points of the opposite sides. Express the area of the octagon that is formed at the centre as a fraction of the area of the square.
Read all about the number pi and the mathematicians who have tried to find out its value as accurately as possible.
Can you work out the fraction of the original triangle that is covered by the inner triangle?