Other tags that relate to Matchsticks
Investigations. Generalising. Tangram. Arithmetic sequences. Cubes & cuboids. Interactivities. Matchsticks. Visualising. Practical Activity. Working systematically.There are 145 results
Broad Topics > Mathematical Thinking > Investigations
Triple Cubes
Age 5 to 11 Challenge Level:
This challenge involves eight three-cube models made from interlocking cubes. Investigate different ways of putting the models together then compare your constructions.
Cuboid-in-a-box
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
What is the smallest cuboid that you can put in this box so that you cannot fit another that's the same into it?
Move a Match
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
How can you arrange these 10 matches in four piles so that when you move one match from three of the piles into the fourth, you end up with the same arrangement?
28 and It's Upward and Onward
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
Can you find ways of joining cubes together so that 28 faces are visible?
Two Squared
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
What happens to the area of a square if you double the length of the sides? Try the same thing with rectangles, diamonds and other shapes. How do the four smaller ones fit into the larger one?
Redblue
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
Investigate the number of paths you can take from one vertex to another in these 3D shapes. Is it possible to take an odd number and an even number of paths to the same vertex?
Making Cuboids
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
Let's say you can only use two different lengths - 2 units and 4 units. Using just these 2 lengths as the edges how many different cuboids can you make?
Triangle Pin-down
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
Use the interactivity to investigate what kinds of triangles can be drawn on peg boards with different numbers of pegs.
Hexpentas
Age 5 to 11 Challenge Level:
How many different ways can you find of fitting five hexagons together? How will you know you have found all the ways?
Brush Loads
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
How can you arrange the 5 cubes so that you need the smallest number of Brush Loads of paint to cover them? Try with other numbers of cubes as well.
Sticky Triangles
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
Can you continue this pattern of triangles and begin to predict how many sticks are used for each new "layer"?
Little Boxes
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
How many different cuboids can you make when you use four CDs or DVDs? How about using five, then six?
Three Sets of Cubes, Two Surfaces
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
How many models can you find which obey these rules?
Watch Your Feet
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
I like to walk along the cracks of the paving stones, but not the outside edge of the path itself. How many different routes can you find for me to take?
Round and Round the Circle
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
What happens if you join every second point on this circle? How about every third point? Try with different steps and see if you can predict what will happen.
Fencing
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
Arrange your fences to make the largest rectangular space you can. Try with four fences, then five, then six etc.
Double Your Popcorn, Double Your Pleasure
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
We went to the cinema and decided to buy some bags of popcorn so we asked about the prices. Investigate how much popcorn each bag holds so find out which we might have bought.
Bean Bags for Bernard's Bag
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
How could you put eight beanbags in the hoops so that there are four in the blue hoop, five in the red and six in the yellow? Can you find all the ways of doing this?
The Big Cheese
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
Investigate the area of 'slices' cut off this cube of cheese. What would happen if you had different-sized block of cheese to start with?
It Figures
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
Suppose we allow ourselves to use three numbers less than 10 and multiply them together. How many different products can you find? How do you know you've got them all?
Room Doubling
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
Investigate the different ways you could split up these rooms so that you have double the number.
Calcunos
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
If we had 16 light bars which digital numbers could we make? How will you know you've found them all?
Presents
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
We need to wrap up this cube-shaped present, remembering that we can have no overlaps. What shapes can you find to use?
More Transformations on a Pegboard
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
Use the interactivity to find all the different right-angled triangles you can make by just moving one corner of the starting triangle.
Stairs
Age 5 to 11 Challenge Level:
This challenge is to design different step arrangements, which must go along a distance of 6 on the steps and must end up at 6 high.
Investigating Pascal's Triangle
Age 7 to 14 Challenge Level:
In this investigation, we look at Pascal's Triangle in a slightly different way - rotated and with the top line of ones taken off.
Birthday Cake Candles
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
This challenge involves calculating the number of candles needed on birthday cakes. It is an opportunity to explore numbers and discover new things.
Sweets in a Box
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
How many different shaped boxes can you design for 36 sweets in one layer? Can you arrange the sweets so that no sweets of the same colour are next to each other in any direction?
Count the Digits
Age 5 to 11 Challenge Level:
In this investigation we are going to count the number of 1s, 2s, 3s etc in numbers. Can you predict what will happen?
Steps to the Podium
Age 7 to 14 Challenge Level:
It starts quite simple but great opportunities for number discoveries and patterns!
Building with Rods
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
In how many ways can you stack these rods, following the rules?
Crossing the Town Square
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
This tricky challenge asks you to find ways of going across rectangles, going through exactly ten squares.
Polygonals
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
Polygonal numbers are those that are arranged in shapes as they enlarge. Explore the polygonal numbers drawn here.
Fit These Shapes
Age 5 to 11 Challenge Level:
What is the largest number of circles we can fit into the frame without them overlapping? How do you know? What will happen if you try the other shapes?
All Wrapped Up
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
What is the largest cuboid you can wrap in an A3 sheet of paper?
The Numbers Give the Design
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
Make new patterns from simple turning instructions. You can have a go using pencil and paper or with a floor robot.
It's a Fence!
Age 5 to 11 Challenge Level:
In this challenge, you will work in a group to investigate circular fences enclosing trees that are planted in square or triangular arrangements.
Become Maths Detectives
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
Explore Alex's number plumber. What questions would you like to ask? Don't forget to keep visiting NRICH projects site for the latest developments and questions.
Sticks and Triangles
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
Using different numbers of sticks, how many different triangles are you able to make? Can you make any rules about the numbers of sticks that make the most triangles?
Cubes Here and There
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
How many shapes can you build from three red and two green cubes? Can you use what you've found out to predict the number for four red and two green?
My New Patio
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
What is the smallest number of tiles needed to tile this patio? Can you investigate patios of different sizes?
Fencing Lambs
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
A thoughtful shepherd used bales of straw to protect the area around his lambs. Explore how you can arrange the bales.
Two on Five
Age 5 to 11 Challenge Level:
Take 5 cubes of one colour and 2 of another colour. How many different ways can you join them if the 5 must touch the table and the 2 must not touch the table?
Making Squares
Age 7 to 11
Investigate all the different squares you can make on this 5 by 5 grid by making your starting side go from the bottom left hand point. Can you find out the areas of all these squares?
Cutting Corners
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
Can you make the most extraordinary, the most amazing, the most unusual patterns/designs from these triangles which are made in a special way?
Egyptian Rope
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
The ancient Egyptians were said to make right-angled triangles using a rope with twelve equal sections divided by knots. What other triangles could you make if you had a rope like this?
Magazines
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
Let's suppose that you are going to have a magazine which has 16 pages of A5 size. Can you find some different ways to make these pages? Investigate the pattern for each if you number the pages.
NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.