Miss Kopels' Math Blog!: October 2011

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Factory Balls: Best logic game ever

Note to self: Don't start this unless you have time to spare! It's as addicting as Snood once was

http://hoodamath.com/games/factoryballs2.php

Learning to Add

How many plus signs should we put between the digits

987654321

to get a total of 99, and where?

(For those who get hooked on this problem: There are two solutions. To find even one is not easy, but the experience will help you put plus signs within

123456789

to get a total of 100.)

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Challenge: Unknown Averages Problem

In April 1998, the basketball players Michael Jordan and Shaquille (Shaq) O’Neal were vying for the season individual scoring title until the last game of the season. The scoring title is won by the player with the highest average of points per game, calculated by dividing the total number of points by the number of games the player has played. (Customarily, averages are rounded to the nearest tenth.)

Before the last game, Jordan had scored 2,313 points in 81 games and Shaq had scored 1,666 points in 59 games. No on else has a chance to win the title.

Given the above information, what are all the possible outcomes?
What are the critical point totals in terms of a change in outcomes?
If Jordan scores more points in the last game than Shaq, will he necessarily win?
If Shaq scores more points in the last game than Jordan, will he necessarily win?

Solve algebraically and graphically. How does one representation inform the other?

Friday, October 14, 2011

Grade 10: Classifying Quadrilaterals Venn

Where Parallelograms have 2 sets of parallel sides, Trapezoids only have 1 set.
Rectangles have perpendicular adjacent sides, Rhombuses have sides of equal lengths.
Squares have both! There are also Isosceles Trapezoids, where the non-parallel sides have
equal lengths!

Problem-Solving Cycle: Tool to Use!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Challenge Problem

Circles A, B, P, and Q are all inscribed (within) and tangent (touch at one point) to circle T. The Radii of Circles A, B, and T respectively are 2, 1, and 3. What are the Radii of Circles P and Q if they are tangent to circles A, B and T?