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sfmathcircle.org

Adding Sticks

Challenges

What is the largest number you can make with these sticks? What is the smallest number? Can you make every number in between?
Are there any numbers you can make with different possible sticks?
What is the next largest sized stick you need? What is the largest number you can make using all five of these measuring sticks?
Can you make every number between 1 and the number you got from Challenge 3? Explain your answer?
If this pattern continues, how many sticks would you need to make all the number 1 to 1000. What sizes will all those sticks be?

7

7 = G Y R

Revised on 2020.05.01

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sfmathcircle.org

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0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Writing Codes

For all the numbers to the right, write down the sticks you needed to make the numbers by writing a 1 if you needed the number, and a 0 if you did not.

What patterns do you notice in these numbers? Are there any similarities in which numbers need certain sticks?

__ __ __ __�B G Y R

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

Red =

Yellow =

Green =

Blue =

3 of 5

sfmathcircle.org

Adding Sticks

Challenges

What set of numbers can you make using this sticks?
Are there two possible ways to make any number in the set?
What is the next sized stick you need? What are the set of number you can make with all four of those sized sticks?
Say you were able to use 3 copies of each stick. What is the fewest number of sticks you would need to make every number 1 to 100? What are those set of sticks?
Say you were able to use 5 copies of each stick. What is the fewest number of sticks you would need to make every number 1 to 1000? What are those set of sticks?

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5 of 5

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0 =

1 =

2 =

3 =

4 =

5 =

6 =

7

8