Other tags that relate to Base Puzzle
Mathematical reasoning & proof. Number bases. Creating and manipulating expressions and formulae. Properties of numbers. Diophantine equations. Factors and multiples. Addition & subtraction. Place value. Integers. Number - generally.There are 162 results
Broad Topics > Using, Applying and Reasoning about Mathematics > Mathematical reasoning & proof
Chocolate Maths
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
Pick the number of times a week that you eat chocolate. This number must be more than one but less than ten. Multiply this number by 2. Add 5 (for Sunday). Multiply by 50... Can you explain why it. . . .
Aba
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
In the following sum the letters A, B, C, D, E and F stand for six distinct digits. Find all the ways of replacing the letters with digits so that the arithmetic is correct.
Always the Same
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
Arrange the numbers 1 to 16 into a 4 by 4 array. Choose a number. Cross out the numbers on the same row and column. Repeat this process. Add up you four numbers. Why do they always add up to 34?
Power Mad!
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
Powers of numbers behave in surprising ways. Take a look at some of these and try to explain why they are true.
Tis Unique
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
This addition sum uses all ten digits 0, 1, 2...9 exactly once. Find the sum and show that the one you give is the only possibility.
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. . . .
Cycle It
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
Carry out cyclic permutations of nine digit numbers containing the digits from 1 to 9 (until you get back to the first number). Prove that whatever number you choose, they will add to the same total.
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. . . .
Even So
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
Find some triples of whole numbers a, b and c such that a^2 + b^2 + c^2 is a multiple of 4. Is it necessarily the case that a, b and c must all be even? If so, can you explain why?
1 Step 2 Step
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
Liam's house has a staircase with 12 steps. He can go down the steps one at a time or two at time. In how many different ways can Liam go down the 12 steps?
Calendar Capers
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
Choose any three by three square of dates on a calendar page...
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. . . .
Cross-country Race
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
Eight children enter the autumn cross-country race at school. How many possible ways could they come in at first, second and third places?
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.
9 Weights
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
You have been given nine weights, one of which is slightly heavier than the rest. Can you work out which weight is heavier in just two weighings of the balance?
Adding All Nine
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
Make a set of numbers that use all the digits from 1 to 9, once and once only. Add them up. The result is divisible by 9. Add each of the digits in the new number. What is their sum? Now try some. . . .
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. . . .
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. . . .
N000ughty Thoughts
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
How many noughts are at the end of these giant numbers?
Mod 3
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Prove that if a^2+b^2 is a multiple of 3 then both a and b are multiples of 3.
Number Rules - OK
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Can you convince me of each of the following: If a square number is multiplied by a square number the product is ALWAYS a square number...
Composite Notions
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
A composite number is one that is neither prime nor 1. Show that 10201 is composite in any base.
One O Five
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
You can work out the number someone else is thinking of as follows. Ask a friend to think of any natural number less than 100. Then ask them to tell you the remainders when this number is divided by. . . .
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?
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?
Neighbourly Addition
Age 7 to 14 Challenge Level:
I added together some of my neighbours' house numbers. Can you explain the patterns I noticed?
Our Ages
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
I am exactly n times my daughter's age. In m years I shall be ... How old am I?
More Marbles
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
I start with a red, a blue, a green and a yellow marble. I can trade any of my marbles for three others, one of each colour. Can I end up with exactly two marbles of each colour?
Marbles
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
I start with a red, a green and a blue marble. I can trade any of my marbles for two others, one of each colour. Can I end up with five more blue marbles than red after a number of such trades?
Never Prime
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
If a two digit number has its digits reversed and the smaller of the two numbers is subtracted from the larger, prove the difference can never be prime.
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.
Sixational
Age 14 to 18 Challenge Level:
The nth term of a sequence is given by the formula n^3 + 11n . Find the first four terms of the sequence given by this formula and the first term of the sequence which is bigger than one million. . . .
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.
Postage
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
The country Sixtania prints postage stamps with only three values 6 lucres, 10 lucres and 15 lucres (where the currency is in lucres).Which values cannot be made up with combinations of these postage. . . .
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?
Always Perfect
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Show that if you add 1 to the product of four consecutive numbers the answer is ALWAYS a perfect square.
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. . . .
Common Divisor
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Find the largest integer which divides every member of the following sequence: 1^5-1, 2^5-2, 3^5-3, ... n^5-n.
A Biggy
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Find the smallest positive integer N such that N/2 is a perfect cube, N/3 is a perfect fifth power and N/5 is a perfect seventh power.
Why 24?
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Take any prime number greater than 3 , square it and subtract one. Working on the building blocks will help you to explain what is special about your results.
For What?
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Prove that if the integer n is divisible by 4 then it can be written as the difference of two squares.
Diophantine N-tuples
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Can you explain why a sequence of operations always gives you perfect squares?
Clocked
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
Is it possible to rearrange the numbers 1,2......12 around a clock face in such a way that every two numbers in adjacent positions differ by any of 3, 4 or 5 hours?
DOTS Division
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Take any pair of two digit numbers x=ab and y=cd where, without loss of generality, ab > cd . Form two 4 digit numbers r=abcd and s=cdab and calculate: {r^2 - s^2} /{x^2 - y^2}.
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 Pyramids
Age 11 to 14 Challenge Level:
When number pyramids have a sequence on the bottom layer, some interesting patterns emerge...
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.
Perfectly Square
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
The sums of the squares of three related numbers is also a perfect square - can you explain why?
NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.