Puzzles of the Day

Each day I will post 2 puzzles for you to challenge your problem-solving while also strengthening your numeracy and skills (if you complete them without a calculator). Challenge the rest of your family with them! Solutions to each puzzle will be posted 3 days after the puzzle has been posted. To have your solution featured, email it to me at tv43758@gotvdsb.ca

Fri Apr 3rd

1. 6’s Challenge

Your task is to use exactly four 6’s and any of the operations including grouping symbols to create an equation that equals each of the following target numbers.

Target #’s:

5, 6, 8, 24, 30, 48, 66, 180

2. Flag #2

Your task is to determine the missing angles in the flag.

Explain your reasoning with geometry terms.

Thur Apr 2nd

1. Angle Maze

Your task is to follow the lines and try and get from the green start to the red goal. At each circle you must turn the angle measurement specified. If it is a blank circle you fill in the angle measurement that you want to use. You do not have to pass through every circle, or every blue circle but CANNOT pass through any circles more than once. These are more Naoki Inaba (Japanese Link) puzzles. (More to try)

2. Cross Math

Your task is to use the digits 1-9 to create equations that are true vertically and horizontally. To find more of these puzzles with solutions check out this site.

Wed Apr 1st

1. Step pattern

Your task is to fill in the empty squares with natural numbers such that each line is an arithmetic sequence (goes up or down by the same amount). These types of puzzles were designed by Japanese mathematician Naoki Inaba (Japanese Link) (English blog post)

2. Zukei Puzzles

Your task is to draw the required shapes by connecting the dots on the grid. These are more puzzles designed by Naoki Inaba (Japanese Link) (English blog post)

Tues March 31st

1. Measurement Tidbit #2

Your task is to determine what fraction of the squares rectangle is pink? For more like this check out: Ed Southhall’s books Geometry Snacks

2. Suko #2

Your task is to place the number 1 to 9 in the spaces so that the number in each circle is equal to the sum of the four surrounding spaces, and each colour total is correct. For more suko puzzles check out: https://www.transum.org/software/Puzzles/Suko.asp. This puzzle was taken from the Wall Street Journal.

Monday March 30th

1. Nine Digits

Your task is use the digits 1-9 to complete the puzzle below, no digits can be repeated. For more nine digit puzzles check out this website.

2. Logic Puzzle #2

More examples & instructions for logic puzzles Puzzle Baron website

A competition was held recently at which several universities entered specially-engineered cars to see whose could go the farthest on 10 gallons of gas. Your task is to match each car to its team and determine its maximum speed and total distance.

1. The car with a high speed of 81 MPH drove 25 fewer miles than the automobile with a high speed of 65 MPH.

2. The automobile with a high speed of 69 MPH drove somewhat less than the automobile with a high speed of 74 MPH.

3. The Poltris was either the car with a high speed of 69 MPH or the car with a high speed of 65 MPH.

4. The Garusky drove somewhat farther than the car with a high speed of 74 MPH.

5. The Zenmoto drove for 525 miles.

Friday March 27th

1. Flag Friday Puzzle

Your task is to determine the missing angles in the flag.

Explain your reasoning with geometry terms.

2. KenKen Puzzle #2

Your task here is to use the digits 1-9 to fill in each section with an expression that has the result number when only using the operation shown in the corner. You cannot have any digits repeated in a row or column (similar to suduko). For more information on KenKen puzzles, including online puzzles to play go to: http://www.kenkenpuzzle.com/

Thursday March 26th

1. AREA PUZZLE #3

Your task on this area puzzle is to try and determine the area of each coloured rectangle based on the information given. For more examples check out the AREA MAZE books.

Completed example:

2. SUKO PUZZLE

Wednesday March 25th

1. HEXAGON PYRAMID PUZZLE

Your task here is to put single digit integer values in each of the empty pentagons, such that the value above is the sum of the two values below. See how many solutions you can create!

Easier mode: just make it work!

Hard mode: you can only use single digit integers and no integer can be repeated (including the given values)

2. LOGIC PUZZLE

More examples & instructions for logic puzzles Puzzle Baron website

Several passport applications were received at the embassy today, and each needs to be processed. Your task is to determine each traveler's birthday, career and country of origin. Use the information and chart below.

1. The person whose birthday is on July 16th is either Dale or the engineer.

2. Dale has a birthday 1 month after Eric.

3. The four people are the surgeon, Dale, the person whose birthday is on July 16th and the traveler whose birthday is on May 18th.

4. The lawyer has a birthday 2 months before Frank.

Tuesday March 24th

1. KENKEN PUZZLE

Your task here is to use the digits 1-4 to fill in each section with an expression that has the result number when only using the operation shown in the corner. You cannot have any digits repeated in a row or column (similar to suduko). For more information on KenKen puzzles, including online puzzles to play go to: http://www.kenkenpuzzle.com/

2. AREA MAZE #2

Your task is to try and determine the missing side lengths and areas based on the information given. For more examples check out the AREA MAZE books.

Monday March 23rd

AREA MAZE

Your task is to try and determine the missing side lengths and areas based on the information given.

For more examples check out the AREA MAZE books.

MEASUREMENT TIDBIT

What percentage of the total area (Area of rectangle ABCD) is taken up by the yellow parallelogram (KLMN). For more examples like this check out the GEOMETRY SNACKS books.

Monday March 23rd - Area Maze Answers

AREA MAZE

Your task is to try and determine the area of the green rectangle.

For more examples check out the AREA MAZE books.

First use the area of the red rectangle to determine the length.

Using this you can now determine the height of the blue rectangle.

Using these 2 measurements you can now determine the dimensions of the green rectangle, which allows you to calculate the green rectangles area.

Stellar Submitted Answers:

Jana from London:

Monday March 23rd - Measurement Tidbit

MEASUREMENT TIDBIT

What percentage of the total area (Area of rectangle ABCD) is taken up by the yellow parallelogram (KLMN). For more examples like this check out the GEOMETRY SNACKS books.

The key idea here is to split the rectangle and parallelogram into two as shown. Each yellow triangle is then half each blue rectangle, because they share the same height and base length. So the yellow parallelogram is half (50%) the total area. More formal proof below.

Tuesday March 24th - KenKen Puzzle:

1. KENKEN PUZZLE

Stellar Submitted Answers:

Josh from London:

Tuesday March 24th - Area Maze #2

2. AREA MAZE #2

Your task is to try and determine the missing side lengths and areas based on the information given. For more examples check out the AREA MAZE books.

For this area puzzle I started with the green rectangle and determined the length. Subtracting that length and the red length from the length of the total I was able to determine the length of the teal. Using the area of the teal I determined the height of the teal which is also the height of the red. So then I had both dimensions of the red to determine the area.

Stellar Submitted Answers:

Jana From London:

Josh from London: