The answer to our last problem is 5










Answer: 12 - 7 = 5 people in bare feet!

Because I have been so remiss in putting up problems of late I have put 3 up today.

Happy problem solving!


1. If Jane is older than Kim, Kim is older than Shawn.
Shawn is younger than Jane and Rachel is older than Jane
List the people from oldest to youngest.




2. In how many different ways can the carriages of a three carriages train be arranged?
3. A math student interviewed 50 fifth graders. 41 said they like peanut butter sandwiches, 35 liked jam sandwiches and 30 liked both on their sandwiches.
How many students liked neither?

The answer to the first problem is:
[9][5] x [7][6] + [4] x [1] = 7224

The answer to the second problem is:
There will only be 3 lily pads that both frogs jump on - Number 6, 12 and 18.

This weeks problem:

There are 12 people in a room. 6 people are wearing socks and 4 people are wearing shoes, 3 people are wearing both. How many people are in bare feet?

Well done once again problem solvers!

Last weeks answer is

The number of children = number of different combinations of two different flavours.

1,2 2,3 3,4 4,5 5,6 6,7 7,8 8,9

1,3 2,4 3,5 4,6 5,7 6,8 7,9

1,4 2,5 3,6 4,7 5,8 6,9

1,5 2,6 3,7 4,8 5,9

1,6 2,7 3,8 4,9

1,7 2,8 3,9

1,8 2,9

1,9

36 = 8 + 7 + 6 + 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 There are 36 children.



This week I am posing 2 problems.

The first one is:

Place the digits 9,4, 7, 6, 5, 1, in the boxes in order to get the largest result.

[ ][ ] x [ ][ ] + [ ] x [ ] = ?



The second problem is:

Two frogs are hopping along a path one lily pad wide, going in the same direction. There are 18 lily pads and one frog jumps 3 lily pads at a time, the other jumps two lily pads at a time. If the frogs leave the shore one after the other, how many lily pads will be jumped on by both frogs?

Happy Problem Solving!

Hi Team
Once again some great problem solving - sorry for the delay in getting this weeks problem on-line.

Last weeks answer:
Find a pattern.
2 steps 3 cubes 2 + 1
3 steps 6 cubes 3 + (2 + 1)
4 steps 10 cubes 4 + (3 + 2 + 1)
5 steps
9 steps 45 cubes 9 + (8 + 7 + 6 + 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1)
You will need 45 cubes.

This weeks problem:

An ice cream stand has nine different flavours. A group of children come to the stand and each buys a double scoop cone with two flavours of ice cream. If none of the children choose the same combination of flavours, and every different combination of flavors is chosen, how many children are there?
FLAVOURS
1 Vanilla
2 Maple
3 Chocolate
4 Tiger
5 Raspberry
6 Strawberry
7 Coffee
8 Moon Mist
9 Cherry Vanilla

Welcome back problem solvers.

I am so impressed with your thinking! I have to admit I had a bit of a problem with last weeks...my first answer was 25 days then I worked it out again and got 20.

Last weeks answer: 5 totally clear days and 15 half and half.

In the 15 half and half days:
7 of the clear mornings were followed by rain, 8 of the clear afternoons were preceeded by rain. 20 days of the vacation.

This weeks problem

This stairway is made of cubes. How many cubes would be needed to make the steps 9 steps high?

Is there a pattern that can help you solve the problem?

What a great start to our blog!

13 comments on our first blog - well done.

There were 2 correct answers to last weeks problem

Answer: 1) 9+8+7+65+4+3+2+1 = 99 -> 7 addition signs.
2) 9+8+7+6+5+43+21 = 99 -> 6 addition signs.

This weeks problem:

The weather during Sam Smith's holiday was strange. It rained on 15 different days, but it never rained for a whole day.
Rainy mornings were followed by clear afternoons.
Rainy afternoons were preceeded by clear mornings.
There were 12 clear mornings and 13 clear afternoons in all.
How long was the holiday?

How will you go about solving this problem?
Will you draw pictures?
Will you make a chart?
Share your strategies as well as your answers.

Welcome to our Problem Solving Blog.

Each week I will post a new problem for you to solve on your own or with your family. Post a comment and tell us your answer and how you went about solving the problem.



This weeks problem:

How many addition signs should be put between digits of the number 987654321 and where should we put them to get a total of 99?

Have Fun!