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

Tiles on a Size Ten Patio

Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level Yellow starYellow star
  • Problem
  • Getting Started
  • Student Solutions
  • Teachers' Resources

Imagine that round the back of where you live is a piece of ground that your family want to change. Instead of grass or plants growing there you want to have a patio. To prepare to change it the ground is dug up and levelled, it is then measured and found to be a square $10$ by $10$ [this could be feet, metres or yards it does not really matter for this challenge]. You then go to a large store that sells tiles to go on the ground. To your surprise you find that they sell tiles in ten different sizes; $1$ by $1$, $2$ by $2$, $3$ by $3$, etc. up to $10$ by $10$. You decide to go back home for a while and work a few ideas out.

You start by drawing a $10$ by $10$ square; and then you think about what sizes of tiles to use to cover it.

If you use $1$ by $1$ tiles then you find [or know already!] that you will need $100$ of them. So your shopping list would look like :-

$100$ tiles @ $1$ by $1$ > Total number of tiles $100$

10 x10 grid

If you use $10$ by $10$ tiles then you find [or know already!] that you will need 1 of them. So your shopping list would look like :-

$1$ tiles @ $10$ by $10$ > Total number of tiles $1$

If you use $2$ by $2$ tiles then you find [or know already!] that you will need $25$ of them. So your shopping list would look like :-

$25$ tiles @ $2$ by $2$ > Total number of tiles $25$

You could of course use a mixture of different sized tiles.

If you use $12$ tiles $2$ by $2$ and $4$ tiles $3$ by $3$ and $1$ tile $4$ by $4$ your shopping list would look like :-

$12$ tiles @ $2$ by $2$
$4$ tiles @ $3$ by $3$
$1$ tile @ $4$ by $4$ > Total number of tiles $17$

Mixed tiling

So you could, with these examples use $1, 17, 25$ or indeed $100$ tiles.

Your challenge starts by asking you to try to find lots of different numbers of tiles that could be used to cover this $10$ by $10$ patio.

You could think about the artistic appearance of it as well if you like. However all the patio must be covered and no cutting any of them to make different sizes or shapes ... they're actually very, very hard to cut anyway.


You could now think about these kinds of questions and perhaps you would think of other questions of your own to pursue.

  1. Are there some numbers of tiles used that actually are made up of different mixtures of tiles? [For example in our one that used $17$, could you get to use just $17$ tiles but they require a different shopping list from the one above?]
  2. Are there some numbers between $1$ and $100$ that cannot be used as the total number of tiles required?
  3. Is there some system for getting new examples that use different numbers of tiles?


You may also like

Tangrams

Can you make five differently sized squares from the interactive tangram pieces?

Geoboards

This practical challenge invites you to investigate the different squares you can make on a square geoboard or pegboard.

Polydron

This activity investigates how you might make squares and pentominoes from Polydron.

  • 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