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Fractions in a Box

Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level Yellow starYellow star
Primary curriculum
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We have a game which has a number of discs in seven different colours. These are kept in a flat square box with a square hole for each disc. There are $10$ holes in each row and $10$ in each column. So, there would be $100$ discs altogether, except that there is a square booklet which is kept in a corner of the box in place of some of the holes.

We haven't drawn a grid to show all the holes because that would give the answer away!


box

There is a different number of discs of each of the seven colours.

Half ($\frac{1}{2}$ ) of the discs are red, $\frac{1}{4}$ are black and $\frac{1}{12}$ are blue.


One complete row (of $10$ holes) of the box is filled with all the blue and green discs.


One of the shortened rows (that is where the booklet is) is exactly filled with all the orange discs.


Two of the shortened rows are filled with some of the red discs and the rest of the red discs exactly fill a number of complete rows (of $10$) in the box.

There is just one white disc and all the rest are yellow.


How many discs are there altogether?
What fraction of them are orange?
What fraction are green? Yellow? White?


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The NRICH Project aims to enrich the mathematical experiences of all learners. To support this aim, members of the NRICH team work in a wide range of capacities, including providing professional development for teachers wishing to embed rich mathematical tasks into everyday classroom practice.

NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.

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