Very tricky maths problem for 10 year old?

[robinia]

Dd, along with selected others of her class, has been given a maths problem which I can't work out and nor can dh:

Using numbers 2, 4, 6 and 8 and "divided by" and "equals", make every number from 1 to 32.
eg. 1 = 8 divided by 8; Can't use plus, minus or multiply. Can use each of the numbers as many times as necessary.

We can only get about 1/4 of the answers. Can anybody enlighten us and isn't this a bit tough for a 10year old or is this the way they teach maths these days?

I asked dd to check with her teacher and apparently they are all possible. Dh and I have spent over an hour working on it with her

What haven't you got?

Can you use brackets?

Hmm, still not sure, even with brackets, how you'd get a prime other than 2. How would you get 7?

You can use brackets. We've got 1,2,3,4,6,8,9,12,16,18,24,32.

Yes, it's the primes we're bothered about. Once we've got them the others should be easy (she says nonchalantly!!)

Can you combine them as digits?

E.g. 42/6 = 7 ?

No (sorry!).

But can't you have 42 divided by 6 equals 7, for example? Or is making double or triple digits not allowed?

You've got to be able to combine digits, surely. Or use some other operator. Otherwise, I can't see how to get it.

Nor can we
Dd is adamant that she has the instructions correct. The teacher said that if they got stuck they could use other operators but that it was possible with just division.
Will be sending her into school tomorrow with incomplete homework (the shame ).

Will you tell us the answers when you know??

Please - I have been trying

I'm really really sure there's an error here somewhere. Either they can combine digits, or they can use more operators. (Maybe ^?)

But of course. And dd will be in big trouble if her instructions are incorrect

7 is 6 divided by 2, which is 3, then plus 4.

what others can't you get?

Um, you're not allowed to use plus, minus or multiply. Just divide. See the original post.

they can't use plus though

That's really hard. I'm sure it's not possible. Some clever mumsnetter will be along in a minute to tell us how to do it.

I'm pretty sure it's not possible. Possible with combining digits.

robinia, if you can't combine digits, how did you get your answers above 4?

32 = 4/(1/8)

For example.

It's the primes that are problematic. With () (which robinia said were allowed), you can get the non-prime numbers.

oooh, i get the brackets now....

can't wait to see solution. when do we get it?

If we're lucky - tonight - dd has maths club after school. Otherwise there will be a very penitent dd for not listening to instructions properly and wasting mumsnetters' precious time ....

We haven't got all the non-prime numbers yet. eg.10, 14, 20, if you feel like a crack at those nqc????

Wwwaaaaaaahhhh! No answer tonight - the homework has been handed in without discussion. However, discussion with a friend and her daughter backs up dd's assertion that the rules are as stated. Back to the drawing board ....!