A
new batch of Math Puzzlers for October
Sometimes, playing
with numbers without having to worry about good math grades
can be fun. That's what Young Saint Louis.com's Math
Puzzlers are all about.
Like the whole
YSL.com website, the Math Puzzlers are designed to
help you acquire information in an interesting way.
Mr. Math Puzzler
is a math teacher. Wayne Hesse teaches eighth grade made at
Green Park Lutheran School in south St. Louis County.
The Puzzlers are
the kind of math questions Mr. Hesse gives to his students
after they have finished their regular assignments. In that
case, he gives the kids extra credit for the ones they answer
correctly.
Maybe you can
ask your math teacher to let you enter the Math Puzzler competition
for extra credit. In the past, some teachers have collected
the entries and sent them in as a class effort.
Of course, YSL.com
also likes to throw in a little competition.
That's why we
add an entry blank to each group of six Puzzlers published
each month. You can fill out the entry, answer the questions
and then send in the completed form.
If you get them
all right, we publish your names in next month's edition.
Also, as an added
incentive, we put all entries with six right answers into
a hat. Then, we draw out up to three and award $10 Border's
book certificates to them.
If you are a first
time entrant, you might like to review past questions and
answers to find out how Mr. Math Puzzler thinks.
Using the Past
Stories tab on the home page, pick as many past issues
of YSL.com as you want since September, 2001. That
way, you can use past stories to review previous questions
and answers. The answers to one month's questions are included
in the next month's edition.
(For example,
to see the September, 2003, questions and answers, click
here.)
When you think
you're ready, come back to this October edition and try your
luck.
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:
- Print out
the following entry form.
- Fill out your
name, address and telephone number.
- Give your
answers to the six Math Puzzlers.
- Put your completed
entry into a stamped envelope.
- Mail your
entry to:
Math Puzzler Contest
Young Saint Louis.com
231 So. Bemiston Ave., Suite 800
Clayton, MO 63105
- All entries
must be postmarked by the 15th of the month
to be eligible.
-------------Clip
here to make entry-------------
Entry
for October, 2003, Math Puzzler Contest:
Name: __________________________________
Age: _____
Address: ____________________
School: _______________
City:____________________,
State:______ ZIP__________
Contact phone
no.(____)____________________
The
Math Puzzlers
(October, 2003)
1. Two towns are
linked by a railroad. Every hour on the hour a train leaves
each town for the other town. The trains all go at the same
speed and every trip from one town to the other takes five
hours. How many trains are met by one train during a one-way
trip?
Answer:
_______________
2. Timothy spent
all his money in five stores. In each store, he spent $1 more
than half of what he had when he came in. How much did Timothy
have when he entered the first store?
Answer: _____________
3. How many ways
can you read POP off the diagram below? Letters must touch
each other horizontally, vertically or diagonally. Any P can
be both the first and letter of a single POP? (Hint: Remember,
you can spell backwards as well as use some back-and-forth
spelling.)
P
P O P
P O P O P
P O P
P
Answer:
____________
4. Which three
digits are represented by X, Y and Z in this sum?
XXXX
YYYY
ZZZZ
-----
YXXXZ
Answer: ____________
5. Consider all
the whole numbers from zero through one billion. What is the
sum of all the digits needed to write down these numbers?
Answer: ____________
6. In a stable
there are men and horses. In all, there are 22 heads and 72
feet. How many men and how many horses are in the stable?
Answer: _____________
