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Original poster

Everyone loves an 'impossible maths exam' story

84 replies

noblegiraffe · 22/11/2017 18:54

The latest country to have an exam that has left students in tears is New Zealand. www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/22/impossible-new-zealand-maths-exam-even-flummoxes-teachers

Here's one of the questions if anyone fancies a go. I'm pretty sure there must be a more elegant solution than the one I came up with!

Everyone loves an 'impossible maths exam' story
OP posts:
Original poster
noblegiraffe · 22/11/2017 19:23

Janek DEG is an isosceles triangle, if you drop a line from G to the line DE, then that line will be shorter than DG and GE, not the same length as them, so x can't be 180.

OP posts:
Original poster
noblegiraffe · 22/11/2017 19:20

It's definitely obtuse, catslife. I'm not sure where your right-angled triangle for trig comes from?

OP posts:
Janek · 22/11/2017 19:20

Gertrude why did you change your mind? I agree with you...

catslife · 22/11/2017 19:15

Oh dear DN (aged 15) will have taken that exam.

My solution:
DG=BG and BG bisects the kite so tan (0.5 x) = 1
so 0.5 x = 45 degrees and so angle x = 90 degrees.

iklboo · 22/11/2017 19:10

if you draw a line, sorry.**

iklboo · 22/11/2017 19:10

Can't furtle on my phone put what happens is you draw a line from G to B to create two triangles. Is it easier to calculate then?

crisscrosscranky · 22/11/2017 19:08

No idea but I guess 150!? (Do you get a point if you accidentally get it right?)

GertrudeBelle · 22/11/2017 19:02

Blush ignore me

GertrudeBelle · 22/11/2017 18:56

I must be missing something but if DG=GB=EG then wouldn't DE be a flat line?

So, 180 degrees?