Other tags that relate to So Big
2D shapes and their properties. Generalising. Pythagoras' theorem. Area - triangles, quadrilaterals, compound shapes. Investigations. Maths Supporting SET. Circle properties and circle theorems. Sine, cosine, tangent. Angles - points, lines and parallel lines. Regular polygons and circles.There are 77 results
Broad Topics > Thinking Mathematically > Generalising
Ball Bearings
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
If a is the radius of the axle, b the radius of each ball-bearing, and c the radius of the hub, why does the number of ball bearings n determine the ratio c/a? Find a formula for c/a in terms of n.
Incircles
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
The incircles of 3, 4, 5 and of 5, 12, 13 right angled triangles have radii 1 and 2 units respectively. What about triangles with an inradius of 3, 4 or 5 or ...?
Semi-square
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
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?
Chord
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
Equal touching circles have centres on a line. From a point of this line on a circle, a tangent is drawn to the farthest circle. Find the lengths of chords where the line cuts the other circles.
Equilateral Areas
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
ABC and DEF are equilateral triangles of side 3 and 4 respectively. Construct an equilateral triangle whose area is the sum of the area of ABC and DEF.
Squaring the Circle and Circling the Square
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
If you continue the pattern, can you predict what each of the following areas will be? Try to explain your prediction.
Cyclic Triangles
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
Make and prove a conjecture about the cyclic quadrilateral inscribed in a circle of radius r that has the maximum perimeter and the maximum area.
Pareq Calc
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Triangle ABC is an equilateral triangle with three parallel lines going through the vertices. Calculate the length of the sides of the triangle if the perpendicular distances between the parallel. . . .
Pick's Theorem
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Polygons drawn on square dotty paper have dots on their perimeter (p) and often internal (i) ones as well. Find a relationship between p, i and the area of the polygons.
In a Spin
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
What is the volume of the solid formed by rotating this right angled triangle about the hypotenuse?
Why Stop at Three by One
Age 16 to 18
Beautiful mathematics. Two 18 year old students gave eight different proofs of one result then generalised it from the 3 by 1 case to the n by 1 case and proved the general result.
Areas of Parallelograms
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Can you find the area of a parallelogram defined by two vectors?
Of All the Areas
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Can you find a general rule for finding the areas of equilateral triangles drawn on an isometric grid?
Shape and Territory
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
If for any triangle ABC tan(A - B) + tan(B - C) + tan(C - A) = 0 what can you say about the triangle?
Square Pizza
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Can you show that you can share a square pizza equally between two people by cutting it four times using vertical, horizontal and diagonal cuts through any point inside the square?
Polycircles
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Show that for any triangle it is always possible to construct 3 touching circles with centres at the vertices. Is it possible to construct touching circles centred at the vertices of any polygon?
Multiplication Square
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Pick a square within a multiplication square and add the numbers on each diagonal. What do you notice?
Fractional Calculus I
Age 16 to 18
You can differentiate and integrate n times but what if n is not a whole number? This generalisation of calculus was introduced and discussed on askNRICH by some school students.
Partly Painted Cube
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Jo made a cube from some smaller cubes, painted some of the faces of the large cube, and then took it apart again. 45 small cubes had no paint on them at all. How many small cubes did Jo use?
Generating Triples
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Sets of integers like 3, 4, 5 are called Pythagorean Triples, because they could be the lengths of the sides of a right-angled triangle. Can you find any more?
Steel Cables
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Some students have been working out the number of strands needed for different sizes of cable. Can you make sense of their solutions?
Pinned Squares
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
What is the total number of squares that can be made on a 5 by 5 geoboard?
Fractional Calculus II
Age 16 to 18
Here explore some ideas of how the definitions and methods of calculus change if you integrate or differentiate n times when n is not a whole number.
A Tilted Square
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
The opposite vertices of a square have coordinates (a,b) and (c,d). What are the coordinates of the other vertices?
Overarch 2
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
Bricks are 20cm long and 10cm high. How high could an arch be built without mortar on a flat horizontal surface, to overhang by 1 metre? How big an overhang is it possible to make like this?
Can it Be?
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
When if ever do you get the right answer if you add two fractions by adding the numerators and adding the denominators?
Nim
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Start with any number of counters in any number of piles. 2 players take it in turns to remove any number of counters from a single pile. The loser is the player who takes the last counter.
Sums of Pairs
Age 11 to 16 Challenge Level:
Jo has three numbers which she adds together in pairs. When she does this she has three different totals: 11, 17 and 22 What are the three numbers Jo had to start with?”
Take Three from Five
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Caroline and James pick sets of five numbers. Charlie chooses three of them that add together to make a multiple of three. Can they stop him?
Beelines
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Is there a relationship between the coordinates of the endpoints of a line and the number of grid squares it crosses?
More Twisting and Turning
Age 11 to 16 Challenge Level:
It would be nice to have a strategy for disentangling any tangled ropes...
Arithmagons
Age 11 to 16 Challenge Level:
Can you find the values at the vertices when you know the values on the edges?
Harmonic Triangle
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Can you see how to build a harmonic triangle? Can you work out the next two rows?
For Richer for Poorer
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Charlie has moved between countries and the average income of both has increased. How can this be so?
Painted Cube
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Imagine a large cube made from small red cubes being dropped into a pot of yellow paint. How many of the small cubes will have yellow paint on their faces?
Searching for Mean(ing)
Age 11 to 16 Challenge Level:
If you have a large supply of 3kg and 8kg weights, how many of each would you need for the average (mean) of the weights to be 6kg?
Cuboid Challenge
Age 11 to 16 Challenge Level:
What's the largest volume of box you can make from a square of paper?
Sliding Puzzle
Age 11 to 16 Challenge Level:
The aim of the game is to slide the green square from the top right hand corner to the bottom left hand corner in the least number of moves.
Mystic Rose
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Use the animation to help you work out how many lines are needed to draw mystic roses of different sizes.
Plus Minus
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Can you explain the surprising results Jo found when she calculated the difference between square numbers?
Magic Squares
Age 14 to 18
An account of some magic squares and their properties and and how to construct them for yourself.
Multiplication Arithmagons
Age 14 to 16 Challenge Level:
Can you find the values at the vertices when you know the values on the edges of these multiplication arithmagons?
Irrational Arithmagons
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
Can you work out the irrational numbers that belong in the circles to make the multiplication arithmagon correct?
Interpolating Polynomials
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
Given a set of points (x,y) with distinct x values, find a polynomial that goes through all of them, then prove some results about the existence and uniqueness of these polynomials.
Winning Lines
Age 7 to 16
An article for teachers and pupils that encourages you to look at the mathematical properties of similar games.
Generally Geometric
Age 16 to 18 Challenge Level:
Generalise the sum of a GP by using derivatives to make the coefficients into powers of the natural numbers.
NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.