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  • Early Years Foundation Stage

Open Boxes

Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level Yellow starYellow star
  • Problem
  • Student Solutions
  • Teachers' Resources

 

Here is a small open box made out of little cubes.
It is 5 cubes wide, 5 cubes long and 3 cubes high.
It is just 1 cube thick everywhere.
 
Challenge 1

Work out how many little cubes were used to make the open box in the picture.

Challenge 2
 
If you were going to make a bigger box that is 5 cubes wide, 12 cubes long, 3 cubes high and just 1 cube thick, how many little cubes would you need?


Challenge 3

You have 112 little cubes. 
Imagine that you are asked to make more open boxes which are 1 cube thick, always with a width between 3 and 5 cubes inclusive, the length between 10 and 20 cubes inclusive and the height of 2 or 3 cubes. 
What size open boxes could you make if you have to use all 112 cubes?


Challenge 4

If open boxes have to be 1 cube thick, have a width of 3, 4 or 5 cubes inclusive, the length between 10 and 20 cubes inclusive and the height of 2 or 3 cubes (as in the previous challenge), what sizes use exactly 144, 146 and 147 little cubes?

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If you had 36 cubes, what different cuboids could you make?

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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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