Monday, March 26, 2007

Math Puzzle

Okay, I can't figure out how this works. Can you?

http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/games/magic-gopher-central.swf

10 comments:

Portrait of Peter said...

Hey, that's really good - I guess the kid's have all the fun!!

I'll just try one more time - honest!!!

my4kids said...

Okay yeah I don't get it either....
I tried and it got it right but I don't know how........

Anonymous said...

Well I'll be. It got my symbol right. Process of elimination with the numbers perhaps? Cripes, I won't even 'try' guessing because I just might make myself look dummer. Fun though.

Anonymous said...

Without going through and doing all the math necessary to prove it, it appears as though only a certain few numbers fit the criteria they give you. They give those numbers the same symbol (but change the symbols each time), so it just looks like they're reading your mind. You might try having your kids do the experiment repeatedly with different numbers to see if they come up with the same few numbers.

Steffi said...

The game is cool.I will show it tomorrow my kids!

Anonymous said...

Its the multiples of the number 9.

Lets do the math.
12
1+2=3
12-3=9

16
1+6=7
16-7=9

23
2+3=5
23-5=18

28
2+8=10
28-10=18

33
3+3=6
33-6=27

And so on and so on. Take any two digit number, add them together and subtract the original from the sum of the two numbers and it will always be a multiple of 9

Now go to the site again and look at your answer. It will be a multiple of 9 and all the multiples of 9 will have the same symbol.

Emma in Canada said...

Didn't even look because the word Math frightens me immensely. Just reading sirdar's comment gave me a headache.

Debbie said...

Sirdar - All right smarty pants. ;) I don't like it when the answer is so easy it makes me feel dumb. :)

Debbie said...

Emma - The answer gave me a headache at first, too. I had to do the math over just to get it.

This is why I need a proper curriculum to teach my kids math. And I hide my finger counting under the table so they can't see!

Heather said...

I did it 3 times and it guessed all 3 of my symbols...I would bet at some point it wouldn't get it right...