Factors and multiples

You can make a calculator count for you by any number you choose. You can count by ones to reach 24. You can count by twos to reach 24. What else can you count by to reach 24?

Andrew decorated 20 biscuits to take to a party. He lined them up and put icing on every second biscuit and different decorations on other biscuits. How many biscuits weren't decorated?

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 other possibilities for yourself!

What happens if you join every second point on this circle? How about every third point? Try with different steps and see if you can predict what will happen.

How many different shaped boxes can you design for 36 sweets in one layer? Can you arrange the sweets so that no sweets of the same colour are next to each other in any direction?

Investigate the different shaped bracelets you could make from 18 different spherical beads. How do they compare if you use 24 beads?

Suppose we allow ourselves to use three numbers less than 10 and multiply them together. How many different products can you find? How do you know you've got them all?

Place four pebbles on the sand in the form of a square. Keep adding as few pebbles as necessary to double the area. How many extra pebbles are added each time?