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Trapezium Arch

Age 11 to 14
ShortChallenge Level Yellow starYellow starYellow star
Secondary curriculum
  • Problem
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Arch madefrom 10 stonesTen stones, of identical shape and size, are used to make an arch, as shown in the diagram. Each stone has a cross-section in the shape of a trapezium with equal sides. What is the size of the smallest angles of the trapezium?

If you liked this problem, here is an NRICH task which challenges you to use similar mathematical ideas.

This problem is taken from the UKMT Mathematical Challenges.
You can find more short problems, arranged by curriculum topic, in our short problems collection.

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Show how this pentagonal tile can be used to tile the plane and describe the transformations which map this pentagon to its images in the tiling.

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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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