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Sports Equipment

Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level Yellow star
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I've collected together these different balls that are used in various sports:

 
as well as some others!

Here are the standard diameters of the different types of ball: 

 

Here is a scale drawing of the balls: 

balls
You might like to find a few different balls at school to get a feel for their different sizes before trying this challenge.
 
Try using the diameter information to make circles the right size and use them to explore.
 
If a line is drawn on the ground and the balls are put on that line with each ball touching the one in front and the one behind, which arrangement makes the shortest line of balls?
 
Which arrangement makes the longest line of balls?
 
 

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Shaping It

These pictures were made by starting with a square, finding the half-way point on each side and joining those points up. You could investigate your own starting shape.

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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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