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For younger learners

  • Early Years Foundation Stage

Factors and Multiples Puzzle

Age 11 to 14
Challenge Level Yellow star
Secondary curriculum
  • Problem
  • Getting Started
  • Student Solutions
  • Teachers' Resources

To try this puzzle you will need a copy of the playing board and cards. You can download a copy to print.

board
  1. Cut out the $10$ heading cards and put one in each of the $10$ spaces round the playing board.

    heading cards

     
  2. Cut out the $25$ number cards and place each one in a different square on the playing board so that the number satisfies the condition given by the heading card for that row and the condition given by the heading card for that column.

    number cards

    By rearranging the heading cards and the number cards, try to fill as many squares on the playing board as possible.
Can you fill all the squares on the board at once?

 

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Adding All Nine

Make a set of numbers that use all the digits from 1 to 9, once and once only. Add them up. The result is divisible by 9. Add each of the digits in the new number. What is their sum? Now try some other possibilities for yourself!

Have You Got It?

Can you explain the strategy for winning this game with any target?

Counting Factors

Is there an efficient way to work out how many factors a large number has?

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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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