Creating and manipulating expressions and formulae

  • Pinned Squares
    problem

    Pinned squares

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
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    What is the total number of squares that can be made on a 5 by 5 geoboard?
  • Lower Bound
    problem

    Lower bound

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
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    What would you get if you continued this sequence of fraction sums? 1/2 + 2/1 = 2/3 + 3/2 = 3/4 + 4/3 =
  • Pareq Calc
    problem

    Pareq calc

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
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    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 lines are 1 unit and 2 units.
  • How big?
    problem

    How big?

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
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    If the sides of the triangle in the diagram are 3, 4 and 5, what is the area of the shaded square?
  • The Pillar of Chios
    problem

    The pillar of Chios

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
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    Semicircles are drawn on the sides of a rectangle. Prove that the sum of the areas of the four crescents is equal to the area of the rectangle.

  • One and three
    problem

    One and three

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
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    Two motorboats travelling up and down a lake at constant speeds leave opposite ends A and B at the same instant, passing each other, for the first time 600 metres from A, and on their return, 400 metres from B. How long is the lake?
  • Mindreader
    problem

    Mindreader

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
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    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 the last two digits of her answer. Now you can really amaze her by giving the whole answer and the three consecutive numbers used at the start.
  • Hand Swap
    problem

    Hand swap

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
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    My train left London between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. and arrived in Paris between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. At the start and end of the journey the hands on my watch were in exactly the same positions but the minute hand and hour hand had swopped places. What time did the train leave London and how long did the journey take?
  • Janine's Conjecture
    problem

    Janine's conjecture

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
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    Janine noticed, while studying some cube numbers, that if you take three consecutive whole numbers and multiply them together and then add the middle number of the three, you get the middle number. Does this always work? Can you prove or disprove this conjecture?
  • Boxed In
    problem

    Boxed in

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
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    A box has faces with areas 3, 12 and 25 square centimetres. What is the volume of the box?