Mental calculations

There are 95 NRICH Mathematical resources connected to Mental calculations
Street Lamps
problem

Street Lamps

Age
11 to 14
Challenge level
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Walking up a steep hill, I pass 10 equally spaced street lamps. How long do I take to walk from the first lamp to the last?
Domino Sorting
problem

Domino Sorting

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Try grouping the dominoes in the ways described. Are there any left over each time? Can you explain why?
Number Balance
problem

Number Balance

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Can you hang weights in the right place to make the the number balance balanced?
Carrying Cards
problem

Carrying Cards

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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These sixteen children are standing in four lines of four, one behind the other. They are each holding a card with a number on it. Can you work out the missing numbers?
Consecutive Seven
problem

Consecutive Seven

Age
11 to 14
Challenge level
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Can you arrange these numbers into 7 subsets, each of three numbers, so that when the numbers in each are added together, they make seven consecutive numbers?
Finding Fifteen
problem

Finding Fifteen

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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Tim had nine cards each with a different number from 1 to 9 on it. How could he have put them into three piles so that the total in each pile was 15?
Chocoholics
problem

Chocoholics

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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George and Jim want to buy a chocolate bar. George needs 2p more and Jim need 50p more to buy it. How much is the chocolate bar?
The Tall Tower
problem

The Tall Tower

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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As you come down the ladders of the Tall Tower you collect useful spells. Which way should you go to collect the most spells?
Mind Reading
problem

Mind Reading

Age
11 to 14
Challenge level
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Think of a number, add one, double it, take away 3, add the number you first thought of, add 7, divide by 3 and take away the number you first thought of. You should now be left with 2. How do I know?