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Hidden Squares

Age 11 to 14
Challenge Level Yellow star
Secondary curriculum
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  • Getting Started
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Hidden Squares printable sheet


You might like to play Square It before working on this problem.

28 points have been marked on the axes below. 


The points mark the vertices of eight hidden squares.
Each of the four red points is a vertex shared by two squares.
Each square shares exactly one vertex with another square.

Can you find the eight hidden squares?
Each square is a different size, and there are no points marked on the side of any square.



Once you've found them all, take a look at the grid below:


This time, there are $34$ points marking the vertices of ten hidden squares.
There are $6$ red vertices, which are shared by two squares.
All of the squares share at least one vertex with another square.

Can you find the ten hidden squares?
Once again, each square is a different size, and there are no points marked on the side of any square, although some points come very close!

Why not have another go at Square It and see if you have improved your square-spotting skills? Or take a look at Square Coordinates for a similar challenge.

 

 

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With one cut a piece of card 16 cm by 9 cm can be made into two pieces which can be rearranged to form a square 12 cm by 12 cm. Explain how this can be done.

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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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