Mr. Math Puzzler is giving you a chance to learn from some of his past questions. Several of the December Puzzlers are ones that are similar to questions in previous months.

That will give you an opportunity to look at past issues and find similar questions and how they were answered.

Mr. Wayne Hesse is our Mr. Math Puzzler. He's an eighth grade math teacher at Green Park Lutheran School in south St. Louis County.

Since starting the Math Puzzler competition in September, 2001, Mr. Hesse has come up with over 160 Math Puzzlers. Some have been easy but some others have been quite hard.

Since winners have been hard to come by in the last two months, this series of questions that look like past ones give you a chance to catch up with Mr. Math Puzzler.

The similar questions will be especially good for kids who are trying the Math Puzzlers for the first time.

To catch on to the pace of the Puzzlers, go to the Past Stories tab at the top of the home page. Then, pick any month after September, 2001, to check on past Math Puzzlers. The questions are one month and then the answers are published the next month.

(For example, to check last month's questions, click on November, 2003. Then, to check your answers, click on the answer story on this edition.)

When you are ready to enter the December contest, come back to his story, fill out the entry blank, answer the Puzzlers and mail in your entry.

If any of our contestants get all six answers correct, we publish their names in the following month. That's also the time when we give the explanations for the previous month's questions.

Also, as an added incentive, we enter all kids who get six right answers into a drawing for $10 Border's book certificates. Up to three certificates will be awarded each month.

A reminder: These Math Puzzlers can be quite challenging, especially for younger kids. Remember, we don't mind if you get help from a parent or older brother or sister. In fact, you might want to make this a family activity.

Here's how to enter:

1. Print out the following entry form.
   
2. Fill out your name, address and telephone number.
   
3. Give your answers to the six Math Puzzlers.
   
4. Put your completed entry into a stamped envelope.
   
5. Mail your entry to:
   
   Math Puzzler Contest
   Young Saint Louis.com
   231 So. Bemiston Ave., Suite 800
   Clayton, MO 63105
   
   
6. All entries must be postmarked by the 15th of the month to be eligible.

-------------Clip here to make entry-------------

Entry for December, 2003, Math Puzzler Contest:

Name: ________________________________ Age: _______

Address: ____________________ School: _______________

City:____________________, State:______ ZIP___________

Contact phone no.(____)____________________

The Math Puzzlers
(December, 2003)

1. Jim's pennies are worth as much as his nickels, his nickels are worth as much as his dimes and his dimes are worth as much as his quarters. If the total value of all his coins is $12, how many dimes does he have?

Answer: _______________

 

2. Four straight lines can cross in as many as six points (see diagram). What is the greatest number of points in which five straight lines can cross?

Answer: _____________

 

3. Kevin is 14 inches taller than George. The difference between Kevin and Richard is 2 inches less than between Richard and George. Kevin at 6'6" is the tallest. How tall are Richard and George?

Answer: _____________

 

4. A baseball team just won a championship game and the players wanted to congratulate each other. They began shaking hands. How many handshakes were necessary for each player to shake every other player's hand? Remember, there are nine players on a baseball team.

Answer: _____________

 

5. Two trains are on a head-on collision course. The trains are currently 65 miles apart. The north-bound train is traveling 55 mph and the south-bound train is traveling 80 mph. What is the distance between the two trains two minutes before they collide?

Answer: _____________

 

6. A car travels at a speed of 30 mph over an unknown distance, and then returns over the same distance at a speed of 20 mph. What is the average speed for the total trip.

Answer: _____________