May puzzles
Math Mania's May Challenge is "Sum"
fun
Ms.
Math Mania has a tougher Math Mania puzzle
for May. This one deals with understanding the "sum" system
of numbers.
Ms. Amy Ruzicka, a South St. Louis City math teacher, gives
you examples of how the "sum" game works. But, there's still
plenty of other figuring for you to do.
Before starting on the May puzzle, you might like to see
the answers for April's Math Mania. Also, you
can see who got all the answers correct. Just click
here.
As always, entry in the Math Mania competition
is open to kids 8 to 13 in the metro St. Louis area, both
in Missouri and Illinois.
If you get all answers correct, you're eligible to receive
a $10 Borders gift certificate. YSL.com awards
up to four certificates a month. (If there are more than
four kids with all-correct answers, we have a random drawing.)
It is important that all entries be postmarked by the 15th
of the month.
May Math Mania
Challenge:
"Sum" Fun Problems
1. SUM DAYS
Some people believe that January 1, 2000 is
the first day of the 21st century. Other people believe that
the honor belongs to January 1, 2001. But everyone should agree
that January 1, 2002 is the first "sum-day" of the new century-
when you write out that date in standard notation, it becomes
01/01/02, and 1+1=2. More generally, a sum-day is a date in
which the day and month add up to the year. With that in mind:
What is the last sum-day of the 21st century?
Answer: _______________________
2. SUM THREE-DIGIT NUMBERS
There are four 3-digit numbers in which each
equals the sum of the cubes of its digits.
Three of them are:

Do you know what the fourth one is? HINT: It
does not begin with 0, otherwise it isn't a 3-digit number.
Answer: _____________
3. SUM BIRTHDAY MONEY
Piper really wanted to know how much money she
would get from Grandpa for her birthday.
But Grandpa didn't want to tell her. Instead
he said: "You get so much!"
"But how much is so much?" Pi asked.
"If I gave you so much, plus so much, plus the
half of so much, plus 1/4 of so much, plus $1, you would have
$100.
How much will Piper get?
Answer: _______________