Skip over navigation
Cambridge University Faculty of Mathematics NRich logo
menu search
  • Teachers expand_more
    • Early years
    • Primary
    • Secondary
    • Post-16
    • Events
    • Professional development
  • Students expand_more
    • Primary
    • Secondary
    • Post-16
  • Parents expand_more
    • Early Years
    • Primary
    • Secondary
    • Post-16
  • Problem-Solving Schools
  • About NRICH expand_more
    • About us
    • Impact stories
    • Support us
    • Our funders
    • Contact us
  • search

Or search by topic

Number and algebra

  • The Number System and Place Value
  • Calculations and Numerical Methods
  • Fractions, Decimals, Percentages, Ratio and Proportion
  • Properties of Numbers
  • Patterns, Sequences and Structure
  • Algebraic expressions, equations and formulae
  • Coordinates, Functions and Graphs

Geometry and measure

  • Angles, Polygons, and Geometrical Proof
  • 3D Geometry, Shape and Space
  • Measuring and calculating with units
  • Transformations and constructions
  • Pythagoras and Trigonometry
  • Vectors and Matrices

Probability and statistics

  • Handling, Processing and Representing Data
  • Probability

Working mathematically

  • Thinking mathematically
  • Developing positive attitudes
  • Cross-curricular contexts

Advanced mathematics

  • Decision Mathematics and Combinatorics
  • Advanced Probability and Statistics
  • Mechanics
  • Calculus

For younger learners

  • Early Years Foundation Stage

How Many Dice?

Age 11 to 14
Challenge Level Yellow star
  • Problem
  • Student Solutions

Look at a die. Had you noticed before that 1, 2 and 3 are opposite 6, 5 and 4 respectively so that opposite faces add to 7?

I'll call a die which has this property a standard die.

I don't know when this standard convention was adopted, but I know that if you make standard dice by writing 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 on blank cubes you will find there are 2 and only 2 different standard dice.

Can you prove this ?

A mathematician friend from New Zealand, Prof Derek Holton, tells us that one of the standard dice is used in the western world and the other one is used in the east. Can any one confirm this with an example?

Suppose we relax the condition that opposite faces sum to 7. How many different dice can we make now?


You may also like

Card Trick 2

Can you explain how this card trick works?

Painting Cubes

Imagine you have six different colours of paint. You paint a cube using a different colour for each of the six faces. How many different cubes can be painted using the same set of six colours?

Cube Paths

Given a 2 by 2 by 2 skeletal cube with one route `down' the cube. How many routes are there from A to B?

  • Tech help
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Sign up to our newsletter
  • Twitter X logo

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.

University of Cambridge logo NRICH logo