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Orbiting Billiard Balls

Age 14 to 16
Challenge Level Yellow starYellow starYellow star
  • Problem
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This is a hard but hopefully interesting scenario.

Drawing out the table(s) and experimenting with different paths (angles) will generate a 'feel' for the problem and begin to suggest some features and underlying relationships.

Ideally the context is rich in possibilities for extension and fresh questions. For example are orbital paths possible where a rebound does not always take the ball on to the adjacent side but instead across to the opposite side, and if such paths exist, what is the connection between simple orbits and those where the cycle involves more than 4 rebounds?


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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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