# Resources tagged with: Working systematically

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### There are 341 results

Broad Topics > Thinking Mathematically > Working systematically

### Factor Lines

##### Age 7 to 14 Challenge Level:

Arrange the four number cards on the grid, according to the rules, to make a diagonal, vertical or horizontal line.

### Code Breaker

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

This problem is based on a code using two different prime numbers less than 10. You'll need to multiply them together and shift the alphabet forwards by the result. Can you decipher the code?

### Ordered Ways of Working Upper Primary

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

These activities lend themselves to systematic working in the sense that it helps to have an ordered approach.

### Two Primes Make One Square

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

Can you make square numbers by adding two prime numbers together?

### The Moons of Vuvv

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

The planet of Vuvv has seven moons. Can you work out how long it is between each super-eclipse?

### Cinema Problem

##### Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:

A cinema has 100 seats. Show how it is possible to sell exactly 100 tickets and take exactly £100 if the prices are £10 for adults, 50p for pensioners and 10p for children.

### Hubble, Bubble

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

Winifred Wytsh bought a box each of jelly babies, milk jelly bears, yellow jelly bees and jelly belly beans. In how many different ways could she make a jolly jelly feast with 32 legs?

### Fake Gold

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

A merchant brings four bars of gold to a jeweller. How can the jeweller use the scales just twice to identify the lighter, fake bar?

### Encouraging Primary Children to Work Systematically

##### Age 3 to 11

This article for primary teachers suggests ways in which to help children become better at working systematically.

### Pasta Timing

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

Nina must cook some pasta for 15 minutes but she only has a 7-minute sand-timer and an 11-minute sand-timer. How can she use these timers to measure exactly 15 minutes?

### This Pied Piper of Hamelin

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

Investigate the different numbers of people and rats there could have been if you know how many legs there are altogether!

### Professional Circles

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

Six friends sat around a circular table. Can you work out from the information who sat where and what their profession were?

### Whose Face?

##### Age 5 to 11 Challenge Level:

These are the faces of Will, Lil, Bill, Phil and Jill. Use the clues to work out which name goes with each face.

### Ones Only

##### Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:

Find the smallest whole number which, when mutiplied by 7, gives a product consisting entirely of ones.

### How Old Are the Children?

##### Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:

A student in a maths class was trying to get some information from her teacher. She was given some clues and then the teacher ended by saying, "Well, how old are they?"

### Star Product Sudoku

##### Age 11 to 16 Challenge Level:

The puzzle can be solved by finding the values of the unknown digits (all indicated by asterisks) in the squares of the $9\times9$ grid.

### Dart Target

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

This task, written for the National Young Mathematicians' Award 2016, invites you to explore the different combinations of scores that you might get on these dart boards.

### Finding All Possibilities Upper Primary

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

These activities focus on finding all possible solutions so working in a systematic way will ensure none are left out.

### Finding All Possibilities Upper Primary

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

These activities focus on finding all possible solutions so if you work in a systematic way, you won't leave any out.

### Ordered Ways of Working Upper Primary

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

These activities lend themselves to systematic working in the sense that it helps if you have an ordered approach.

### Two Egg Timers

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

You have two egg timers. One takes 4 minutes exactly to empty and the other takes 7 minutes. What times in whole minutes can you measure and how?

### On Target

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

You have 5 darts and your target score is 44. How many different ways could you score 44?

### Mystery Matrix

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

Can you fill in this table square? The numbers 2 -12 were used to generate it with just one number used twice.

### Crack the Code

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

The Zargoes use almost the same alphabet as English. What does this birthday message say?

### Integrated Product Sudoku

##### Age 11 to 16 Challenge Level:

This Sudoku puzzle can be solved with the help of small clue-numbers on the border lines between pairs of neighbouring squares of the grid.

### Sums and Differences 2

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

Find the sum and difference between a pair of two-digit numbers. Now find the sum and difference between the sum and difference! What happens?

### Multiples Sudoku

##### Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:

Each clue in this Sudoku is the product of the two numbers in adjacent cells.

### Seating Arrangements

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

Sitting around a table are three girls and three boys. Use the clues to work out were each person is sitting.

### Diagonal Product Sudoku

##### Age 11 to 16 Challenge Level:

Given the products of diagonally opposite cells - can you complete this Sudoku?

### Product Sudoku

##### Age 11 to 16 Challenge Level:

The clues for this Sudoku are the product of the numbers in adjacent squares.

### Magic Potting Sheds

##### Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:

Mr McGregor has a magic potting shed. Overnight, the number of plants in it doubles. He'd like to put the same number of plants in each of three gardens, planting one garden each day. Can he do it?

### Family Tree

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

Use the clues to find out who's who in the family, to fill in the family tree and to find out which of the family members are mathematicians and which are not.

### Ancient Runes

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

The Vikings communicated in writing by making simple scratches on wood or stones called runes. Can you work out how their code works using the table of the alphabet?

### Bunny Hop

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

What is the smallest number of jumps needed before the white rabbits and the grey rabbits can continue along their path?

### A First Product Sudoku

##### Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:

Given the products of adjacent cells, can you complete this Sudoku?

### Prison Cells

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

There are 78 prisoners in a square cell block of twelve cells. The clever prison warder arranged them so there were 25 along each wall of the prison block. How did he do it?

### Possible Pieces

##### Age 5 to 11 Challenge Level:

Can you create jigsaw pieces which are based on a square shape, with at least one peg and one hole?

### Build it up More

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

This task follows on from Build it Up and takes the ideas into three dimensions!

### Sums and Differences 1

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

This challenge focuses on finding the sum and difference of pairs of two-digit numbers.

### Painting Possibilities

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

This task, written for the National Young Mathematicians' Award 2016, involves open-topped boxes made with interlocking cubes. Explore the number of units of paint that are needed to cover the boxes. . . .

### Multiplication Squares

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

Can you work out the arrangement of the digits in the square so that the given products are correct? The numbers 1 - 9 may be used once and once only.

##### Age 11 to 16 Challenge Level:

The items in the shopping basket add and multiply to give the same amount. What could their prices be?

### Seven Square Numbers

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

Add the sum of the squares of four numbers between 10 and 20 to the sum of the squares of three numbers less than 6 to make the square of another, larger, number.

### How Many Times?

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

On a digital 24 hour clock, at certain times, all the digits are consecutive. How many times like this are there between midnight and 7 a.m.?

### Route Product

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

Find the product of the numbers on the routes from A to B. Which route has the smallest product? Which the largest?

### Maths Trails

##### Age 7 to 14

The NRICH team are always looking for new ways to engage teachers and pupils in problem solving. Here we explain the thinking behind maths trails.

### A Square of Numbers

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

Can you put the numbers 1 to 8 into the circles so that the four calculations are correct?

### Twenty Divided Into Six

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

Katie had a pack of 20 cards numbered from 1 to 20. She arranged the cards into 6 unequal piles where each pile added to the same total. What was the total and how could this be done?

### Spell by Numbers

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

Can you substitute numbers for the letters in these sums?

### Difference

##### Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

Place the numbers 1 to 10 in the circles so that each number is the difference between the two numbers just below it.