Use The Digits

A Maths Starter of The Day

Use the digits
1, 8, 7, 1 and 8
to make 6249

You have five minutes to get as close to 6249 as possible using any mathematical operations you know.

 

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Keywords: Starter | Arithmetic

  • The Best Maths Class (7cdM2), King Alfred's College, Oxfordshire.
  • Monday, March 02, 2009
  • "Very,very good but clearer instructions would have been helpful. Can we have something more challenging please!"
  • Christine Fraser, St Patrick's Catholic Primary School WELLINGTON TELFORD
  • Tuesday, March 03, 2009
  • "Children initially would have liked more information. e.g. Could they use each number more than once.
    Children thought they had to use integers individually not combine to form HTU.
    Solved though!"
  • Mike Litoris, Mianus, Nebraska
  • Wednesday, March 04, 2009
  • "I was surprised to find that I had found it a different way.
    33 (16) + 8 = 536
    as well as, the one I used, (making a simple answer that much more difficult)
    (8^3) + 6 (1 + 3) = 536."
  • Red Table (Callum,Callum Nico Tremayne Shaun), Cheadle Primary School
  • Thursday, February 25, 2010
  • "It was very challenging and very very fun. It was easier because it was a team effort."
  • Adenike Onifade, London
  • Wednesday, March 24, 2010
  • "I find this very good to teach life skills, I told my pupils that often in life our only limitations are the ones we impose on ourselves. The question did not say what you can or can not do, so get creative and do whaever you want to do: HTU by TU, repeat digits,double it, make up your rules. the differentiation is built in, If the whole class can get the answer the I would have imposed certain conditions to make it more difficult. Good idea, welldone."
  •  

  • Frances, Wales
  • Thursday, March 10, 2011
  • "The instructions could have been clearer. We weren't sure whether to use numbers more than once."

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This starter has scored a mean of 3.2 out of 5 based on 100 votes.

 

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Answer

One possible solution is 71 x 88 + 1 = 6249

Are there any others?

What strategies did you use?

Did you use your head, paper or a calculator?

Or did you use all three?

Could a computer help solve this problem?

Would you improve if you practised solving problems like this?

How could a group of students efficiently work together on a problem like his?