There are 61 NRICH Mathematical resources connected to Real world, you may find related items under Thinking Mathematically.
Broad Topics > Thinking Mathematically > Real world
Olympic Turns
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
This task looks at the different turns involved in different Olympic sports as a way of exploring the mathematics of turns and angles.
The Animals' Sports Day
Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level
One day five small animals in my garden were going to have a sports day. They decided to have a swimming race, a running race, a high jump and a long jump.
Performing Beyond Expectations - Using Sport to Motivate Students in Mathematics Lessons
Age 7 to 16
In this article, Alan Parr shares his experiences of the motivating effect sport can have on the learning of mathematics.
Olympic Records
Age 11 to 14
Challenge Level
Can you deduce which Olympic athletics events are represented by the graphs?
Discuss and Choose
Age 5 to 11
Challenge Level
This activity challenges you to decide on the 'best' number to use in each statement. You may need to do some estimating, some calculating and some research.
What Is the Time?
Age 5 to 11
Challenge Level
Can you put these times on the clocks in order? You might like to arrange them in a circle.
Over-booking
Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level
The probability that a passenger books a flight and does not turn up is 0.05. For an aeroplane with 400 seats how many tickets can be sold so that only 1% of flights are over-booked?
FA Cup
Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level
In four years 2001 to 2004 Arsenal have been drawn against Chelsea in the FA cup and have beaten Chelsea every time. What was the probability of this? Lots of fractions in the calculations!
Far Horizon
Age 14 to 16
Challenge Level
An observer is on top of a lighthouse. How far from the foot of the lighthouse is the horizon that the observer can see?
Cool as Ice
Age 11 to 16
Challenge Level
Design and construct a prototype intercooler which will satisfy agreed quality control constraints.
Straw Scaffold
Age 11 to 14
Challenge Level
Build a scaffold out of drinking-straws to support a cup of water
Gym Bag
Age 11 to 16
Challenge Level
Can Jo make a gym bag for her trainers from the piece of fabric she has?
Decathlon: the Art of Scoring Points
Age 14 to 18
How do decisions about scoring affect who wins a combined event such as the decathlon?
Make Your Own Pencil Case
Age 11 to 14
Challenge Level
What shape would fit your pens and pencils best? How can you make it?
Olympic Cards
Age 5 to 11
Challenge Level
Design your own scoring system and play Trumps with these Olympic Sport cards.
Curve Spotting
Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level
Can you spot circles, spirals and other types of curves in these photos?
Observing the Sun and the Moon
Age 7 to 14
Challenge Level
How does the time of dawn and dusk vary? What about the Moon, how does that change from night to night? Is the Sun always the same? Gather data to help you explore these questions.
May the Best Person Win
Age 5 to 16
How can people be divided into groups fairly for events in the Paralympics, for school sports days, or for subject sets?
Population Dynamics Collection
Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level
This is our collection of tasks on the mathematical theme of 'Population Dynamics' for advanced students and those interested in mathematical modelling.
Fill Me Up
Age 11 to 14
Challenge Level
Can you sketch graphs to show how the height of water changes in different containers as they are filled?
Bird-brained
Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level
How many eggs should a bird lay to maximise the number of chicks that will hatch? An introduction to optimisation.
Population Dynamics
Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level
This problem opens a major sequence of activities on the mathematics of population dynamics for advanced students.
Guessing the Graph
Age 14 to 16
Challenge Level
Can you suggest a curve to fit some experimental data? Can you work out where the data might have come from?
Turning the Place Over
Age 11 to 18
Challenge Level
As part of Liverpool08 European Capital of Culture there were a huge number of events and displays. One of the art installations was called "Turning the Place Over". Can you find our how it works?
Moving Stonehenge
Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level
A look at the fluid mechanics questions that are raised by the Stonehenge 'bluestones'.
Spectrometry Detective
Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level
From the atomic masses recorded in a mass spectrometry analysis can you deduce the possible form of these compounds?
Predator - Prey Systems
Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level
See how differential equations might be used to make a realistic model of a system containing predators and their prey.
Carbon Footprints
Age 14 to 16
Challenge Level
Is it really greener to go on the bus, or to buy local?
Engnrich
Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level
engNRICH is the area of the stemNRICH Advanced site devoted to the mathematics underlying the study of engineering
Physnrich
Age 14 to 18
Challenge Level
PhysNRICH is the area of the StemNRICH site devoted to the mathematics underlying the study of physics
Chemnrich
Age 14 to 18
Challenge Level
chemNRICH is the area of the stemNRICH site devoted to the mathematics underlying the study of chemistry, designed to help develop the mathematics required to get the most from your study. . . .
The Mathematical Problems Faced by Advanced STEM Students
Age 16 to 18
STEM students at university often encounter mathematical difficulties. This articles highlights the various content problems and the 7 key process problems encountered by STEM students.
Tiles in a Public Building
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
What is the same and what is different about these tiling patterns and how do they contribute to the floor as a whole?
Where Am I?
Age 11 to 16
Challenge Level
From the information you are asked to work out where the picture was taken. Is there too much information? How accurate can your answer be?
Fitting Flat Shapes
Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level
How efficiently can various flat shapes be fitted together?
Bionrich
Age 14 to 18
Challenge Level
bioNRICH is the area of the stemNRICH site devoted to the mathematics underlying the study of the biological sciences, designed to help develop the mathematics required to get the most from your. . . .
A Brief History of Time Measurement
Age 11 to 18
Noticing the regular movement of the Sun and the stars has led to a desire to measure time. This article for teachers and learners looks at the history of humanity's need to measure things.
Big and Small Numbers in Physics - Group Task
Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level
Work in groups to try to create the best approximations to these physical quantities.
There and Back Again
Age 11 to 14
Challenge Level
Bilbo goes on an adventure, before arriving back home. Using the information given about his journey, can you work out where Bilbo lives?
Production Equation
Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level
Each week a company produces X units and sells p per cent of its stock. How should the company plan its warehouse space?
Problem Solving, Using and Applying and Functional Mathematics
Age 5 to 18
Challenge Level
Problem solving is at the heart of the NRICH site. All the problems give learners opportunities to learn, develop or use mathematical concepts and skills. Read here for more information.
Mathematical Patchwork
Age 7 to 14
Jenny Murray describes the mathematical processes behind making patchwork in this article for students.
Path to Where?
Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level
Can you imagine where I could have walked for my path to look like this?
Parallel Parking
Age 14 to 16
Scientist Bryan Rickett has a vision of the future - and it is one in which self-parking cars prowl the tarmac plains, hunting down suitable parking spots and manoeuvring elegantly into them.
Classic Cube
Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level
The net of a cube is to be cut from a sheet of card 100 cm square. What is the maximum volume cube that can be made from a single piece of card?
More on Mazes
Age 7 to 14
There is a long tradition of creating mazes throughout history and across the world. This article gives details of mazes you can visit and those that you can tackle on paper.
Bend
Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level
What is the longest stick that can be carried horizontally along a narrow corridor and around a right-angled bend?
NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.