MNetters love a maths question

[noblegiraffe]

Here's a lovely maths question I saw on twitter the other day.

For a Y8 class.

Bear that in mind while you're thinking WTF?

[noblegiraffe]

@OneFrenchEgg

Amazing. I would never have worked that out

My approach was 'The question says I can draw some lines, but I can't measure. The only way you can split the rectangle in half without measuring is the diagonal. So I drew the diagonals on each rectangle, thought, 'what next?' Then joined the midpoints and went WOAH THAT'S COOL'.

I think this sort of question needs you to think 'I don't know what I'm doing but I'm going to draw some stuff anyway and see where that gets me'.

It's something that we have to get kids to do in maths in angles questions. The question will say 'work out angle x' and they say they don't have a clue how to. And the response is 'I don't know how to either, but I'm going to work out some angles that I can find easily, like this one in this triangle here, and see if that helps'.

[tiredhadenough]

@TeenDivided thank you!!

[dootball]

Super question :-)

Since we only need to cut the grey area in half I feel like there should be infinite possible lines we can draw?

Can any others be found?

[TeenDivided]

We are constrained by hot being allowed to measure, so have to cut the white box in half too. If we could measure there would of course be various ways to do it.

[LapinR0se]

I have a degree, a masters, and a postdoc but I still feel thick as all shite when I see a maths question. I just freeze mentally

[OneFrenchEgg]

Thanks @noblegiraffe I think I just don't have any interest in figuring things out - I like knowledge and applying it, rather than thinking it up! Apparently that's reflected in my Myers Brigg thingy, was interesting to do the whole thing with all the info you have to read first.