Other tags that relate to Lighting up Time
Area - circles, sectors and segments. Circle properties and circle theorems. Angle properties of polygons. 2D shapes and their properties. Triangles. Regular polygons and circles. Mathematical reasoning & proof. Visualising. Polyhedra. Pythagoras' theorem.There are 90 results
Broad Topics > Thinking Mathematically > Mathematical reasoning & proof
Cyclic Quadrilaterals
Age 11 to 16 Challenge Level:
Draw some quadrilaterals on a 9-point circle and work out the angles. Is there a theorem?
Coins on a Plate
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
Points A, B and C are the centres of three circles, each one of which touches the other two. Prove that the perimeter of the triangle ABC is equal to the diameter of the largest circle.
Pythagorean Triples II
Age 11 to 16
This is the second article on right-angled triangles whose edge lengths are whole numbers.
Pythagorean Triples I
Age 11 to 16
The first of two articles on Pythagorean Triples which asks how many right angled triangles can you find with the lengths of each side exactly a whole number measurement. Try it!
A Chordingly
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
Find the area of the annulus in terms of the length of the chord which is tangent to the inner circle.
Ratty
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
If you know the sizes of the angles marked with coloured dots in this diagram which angles can you find by calculation?
Same Length
Age 11 to 16 Challenge Level:
Construct two equilateral triangles on a straight line. There are two lengths that look the same - can you prove it?
Con Tricks
Age 11 to 14
Here are some examples of 'cons', and see if you can figure out where the trick is.
More Number Sandwiches
Age 11 to 16 Challenge Level:
When is it impossible to make number sandwiches?
Volume of a Pyramid and a Cone
Age 11 to 14
These formulae are often quoted, but rarely proved. In this article, we derive the formulae for the volumes of a square-based pyramid and a cone, using relatively simple mathematical concepts.
Convex Polygons
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
Show that among the interior angles of a convex polygon there cannot be more than three acute angles.
The Genie in the Jar
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
This jar used to hold perfumed oil. It contained enough oil to fill granid silver bottles. Each bottle held enough to fill ozvik golden goblets and each goblet held enough to fill vaswik crystal. . . .
More Mathematical Mysteries
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
Write down a three-digit number Change the order of the digits to get a different number Find the difference between the two three digit numbers Follow the rest of the instructions then try. . . .
Thirty Nine, Seventy Five
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
We have exactly 100 coins. There are five different values of coins. We have decided to buy a piece of computer software for 39.75. We have the correct money, not a penny more, not a penny less! Can. . . .
Go Forth and Generalise
Age 11 to 14
Spotting patterns can be an important first step - explaining why it is appropriate to generalise is the next step, and often the most interesting and important.
Disappearing Square
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
Do you know how to find the area of a triangle? You can count the squares. What happens if we turn the triangle on end? Press the button and see. Try counting the number of units in the triangle now. . . .
Logic
Age 7 to 14
What does logic mean to us and is that different to mathematical logic? We will explore these questions in this article.
More Number Pyramids
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
When number pyramids have a sequence on the bottom layer, some interesting patterns emerge...
Tourism
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
If you can copy a network without lifting your pen off the paper and without drawing any line twice, then it is traversable. Decide which of these diagrams are traversable.
Concrete Wheel
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
A huge wheel is rolling past your window. What do you see?
Classifying Solids Using Angle Deficiency
Age 11 to 16 Challenge Level:
Toni Beardon has chosen this article introducing a rich area for practical exploration and discovery in 3D geometry
Is it Magic or Is it Maths?
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
Here are three 'tricks' to amaze your friends. But the really clever trick is explaining to them why these 'tricks' are maths not magic. Like all good magicians, you should practice by trying. . . .
The Frieze Tree
Age 11 to 16
Patterns that repeat in a line are strangely interesting. How many types are there and how do you tell one type from another?
Always, Sometimes or Never? Shape
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
Are these statements always true, sometimes true or never true?
Tri-colour
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
Six points are arranged in space so that no three are collinear. How many line segments can be formed by joining the points in pairs?
Mindreader
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
A little bit of algebra explains this 'magic'. Ask a friend to pick 3 consecutive numbers and to tell you a multiple of 3. Then ask them to add the four numbers and multiply by 67, and to tell you. . . .
Take One Example
Age 5 to 11
This article introduces the idea of generic proof for younger children and illustrates how one example can offer a proof of a general result through unpacking its underlying structure.
Less Is More
Age 5 to 11 Challenge Level:
Use your knowledge of place value to try to win this game. How will you maximise your score?
Paradoxes
Age 7 to 14
A paradox is a statement that seems to be both untrue and true at the same time. This article looks at a few examples and challenges you to investigate them for yourself.
Unit Fractions
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
Consider the equation 1/a + 1/b + 1/c = 1 where a, b and c are natural numbers and 0 < a < b < c. Prove that there is only one set of values which satisfy this equation.
Reasoning: Identifying Opportunities (article)
Age 5 to 11
In this article for primary teachers we consider in depth when we might reason which helps us understand what reasoning 'looks like'.
Always, Sometimes or Never?
Age 5 to 11 Challenge Level:
Are these statements relating to odd and even numbers always true, sometimes true or never true?
Reasoning: the Journey from Novice to Expert (article)
Age 5 to 11
This article for primary teachers suggests ways in which we can help learners move from being novice reasoners to expert reasoners.
What Numbers Can We Make Now?
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
Imagine we have four bags containing numbers from a sequence. What numbers can we make now?
Children at Large
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
There are four children in a family, two girls, Kate and Sally, and two boys, Tom and Ben. How old are the children?
Sprouts Explained
Age 7 to 18
This article invites you to get familiar with a strategic game called "sprouts". The game is simple enough for younger children to understand, and has also provided experienced mathematicians with. . . .
Advent Calendar 2011 - Secondary
Age 11 to 18 Challenge Level:
Advent Calendar 2011 - a mathematical activity for each day during the run-up to Christmas.
Online
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
A game for 2 players that can be played online. Players take it in turns to select a word from the 9 words given. The aim is to select all the occurrences of the same letter.
What Numbers Can We Make?
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
Imagine we have four bags containing a large number of 1s, 4s, 7s and 10s. What numbers can we make?
Sticky Numbers
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
Can you arrange the numbers 1 to 17 in a row so that each adjacent pair adds up to a square number?
Breaking the Equation ' Empirical Argument = Proof '
Age 7 to 18
This article stems from research on the teaching of proof and offers guidance on how to move learners from focussing on experimental arguments to mathematical arguments and deductive reasoning.
Elevenses
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
How many pairs of numbers can you find that add up to a multiple of 11? Do you notice anything interesting about your results?
Air Nets
Age 7 to 18 Challenge Level:
Can you visualise whether these nets fold up into 3D shapes? Watch the videos each time to see if you were correct.
Seven Squares - Group-worthy Task
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
Choose a couple of the sequences. Try to picture how to make the next, and the next, and the next... Can you describe your reasoning?
Konigsberg Plus
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
Euler discussed whether or not it was possible to stroll around Koenigsberg crossing each of its seven bridges exactly once. Experiment with different numbers of islands and bridges.
Square Subtraction
Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:
Look at what happens when you take a number, square it and subtract your answer. What kind of number do you get? Can you prove it?
Top-heavy Pyramids
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
Use the numbers in the box below to make the base of a top-heavy pyramid whose top number is 200.
NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.