Festive Maths
Want to spice up your Christmas with some maths? Yes, of course you do. Now read on.
The temperature at midnight was -3 degrees. When I woke up to open my presents it was 5 degrees warmer. What was the new temperature? On the tree I put 4 dozen lights. A third are red, how many are not red? Last night I also put 60 ornaments on the tree but Bonzo the neighbour’s dog got himself really excited and knocked 20 off. I eventually found 12 of them still intact and put them on the tree again. How many decorations are on the tree now? My friendly neighbour gave me a box of chocolates as compensation measuring 10cm by 20cm by 30cm. What is the volume of the box? The box holds 40 delicious chocolates, 10 milk, 10 plain and 20 white. Closing my eyes what is the probability I will pick a milk chocolate and eat it!? Graham’s tree is 1.5m but my tree is an old fashioned 6 feet tall. Who actually has the biggest tree? ‘Silent Night’ is said to have been written in 1818. How many years ago was that? That’s all folks.
Happy Christmas Everybody
Alan Slater, Gatsby Teacher Fellow, Maths Department, Gosford Hill School, Oxfordshire.
alaneslater@hotmail.com
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