A Maths Starter of The Day

Arrange the numbers 1 to 5 on the yellow circles so that consecutive numbers are not connected by blue lines.

How many different ways can this be done?

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Keywords: Starter | Logic | Puzzles

  • Mr. Walsh & Class 2, Blackboys Primary School
  • Thursday, November 13, 2008
  • "Michael Reeder thought it was quite challenging! Everyone really enjoyed it and rose to the challenge!"
  • 8PF, Varndean School, Brighton
  • Monday, September 27, 2010
  • "A good starter. quite easy, but it made us think !!!"
  • 7C/Ma4, Canterbury High
  • Thursday, September 30, 2010
  • "Great - a little too easy, but interesting for all!
    Need some more like this!"
  • D.Wanasingha, PGCE (UOH)
  • Wednesday, November 10, 2010
  • "The answer 14 is if we arrange them as a line. Otherwise it reduces to 10 when we consider it as a circle. If it is a line it would be a quite tricky puzzle even for secondary students."
  • Pearl Oberon,
  • Tuesday, February 15, 2011
  • "Why are there only 2 solutions?"

    •  

  • Nancy, NY
  • Thursday, April 14, 2011
  • "I found only 2 solutions. How is it 10? only 1, 3, and 5 can go on the outside of the circle. And only 1 and 5 could be placed in the outsides of the 4 linked numbers, that leaves us with 1, 4, 2, 5 and 3 or 5, 2, 4, 1 and 3. How is that it has 10 combinations?"
  • Mr Cansdale, Wintringham Grimsby
  • Tuesday, June 28, 2011
  • "10Y3 think this is the most amazing thing they have ever attempted!"
  • Steve Eastop, Kent, UK
  • Sunday, September 25, 2011
  • "Please note there is another solution: (reading down the page and left to right):
    2
    1 - 4 - 5
    3."
  • Matt, Burton On Trent
  • Sunday, September 25, 2011
  • "I only found 2 also, cannot see how you can get anymore."

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This starter has scored a mean of 3.9 out of 5 based on 92 votes.

 

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Answers

There are two different solutions

Can you explain why these are the only two solutions?
Computer Teacher, do your students have access to computers?
Do you have "Laptops in Lessons"?

Whether your students each have a TabletPC or share a desktop PC, this activity lends itself to eLearning (Engaged Learning).

Laptop

Here is the URL which will take them to a concise version of this page.

Transum.org/go/?Start=September25

Here's the URL which will take
them to a student version of this activity.

www.transum.org/go/?to=Lights