The students experienced some exciting moments, estimating the weights of different objects. The objects varied from food items like bread, pasta, fruits, nuts and grains to classroom articles such as pencils, erasers, glue sticks, markers and books. They further challenged themselves and investigated the total weight and the difference between the weight of different objects. The year 1 did learn as they enjoyed and had fun with this wonderful weighing activity.
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Knowledge of mathematics is essential when we try to understand the origins of the universe; determine the distance to the nearest star; predict the orbit of a comet or the date of a solar eclipse; discover new planets; calculate the most efficient way to get a spacecraft to Mars, etc.
A happy number is a number defined by the following process: Starting with any positive integer, replace the number by the sum of the squares of its digits, and repeat the process until the number equals 1 (where it will stay), or it loops endlessly in a cycle which does not include 1. Those numbers for which this process ends in 1 are happy numbers, while those that do not end in 1 are unhappy numbers (or sad numbers)
A palindrome is a word or a number or a sequence of units that is able to be read the same way from either direction, be it forwards or backwards.
So what is a Palindromic Numbers ? What is so fascinating about them ? Palindromic numbers are numbers that read the same from left to right and from right to left. In other words, they are "symmetrical" numbers. Here are some examples: The number of palindromic numbers with two digits is 9: 11, 22, 33, 44, 55, 66, 77, 88, 99. There are 90 palindromic numbers with three digits 101, 111, 121, 131, 141, 151, 161, 171, 181, 191, …, 909, 919, 929, 939, 949, 959, 969, 979, 989, 999 There are also 90 palindromic numbers with four digits 1001, 1111, 1221, 1331, 1441, 1551, 1661, 1771, 1881, 1991, …, 9009, 9119, 9229, 9339, 9449, 9559, 9669, 9779, 9889, 9999 There are many fascinating palindromes involving consecutive digit sequences. For example in base 10 we can construct palindromes with consecutive digits starting with 1. For example 121 is such a palindrome. It is divisible by 11 with the result = 11 which of course is also a palindrome. (Note that in this example the highest digit 2 is even.) With the requirement that the highest digit is even the next such palindrome is 1234321. Again it is divisible by 11 with the result = 112211. Continuing on in this fashion the next such palindrome is 12345654321. Again it is divisible by 11 with the result = 1122332211. This pattern will repeat itself with the final single even digit in base 10 as highest digit. Thus 123456787654321 divided by 11 = 11223344332211. Here are some interesting facts on Palindromic numbers:
A few weeks ago, there was an announcement that the maths week was coming. This time there was a Rubik's cube competition, so people started getting excited, especially me. I have been speed cubing for 3 years now. I went for the preliminary round, and I felt very alarmed when I saw a group of 12th and 13th graders sitting on one of the tables. One of the kids; let's call him Jack; was holding in his hand one of the fastest cubes, and I could see how smooth and lush the turning was. He had some other friends too, and they were also pretty fast. At last the teachers had come, we were waiting in the room for quite a while. They walked in with a bag of really fast cubes, but they were'nt tensioned properly so they kept coming apart. The teachers then came and asked us if we had brought our own cubes, and we definitely had. They went around to see who's cube would be good for the competition. Jack could'nt use his cube because it was a 'stickerless' and they are not allowed in any competitions. There were going to be four children selected for the finals. Everyone was given the same shuffle so it would be fair, and they were given 15 seconds to inspect the cube before they started solving it. Jack decided to go first and got a time of 51 seconds, followed by his friends who got about 57 or 58 seconds. There was another 8th grader there, who got a time of about a minute and 17 seconds, but then my turn came. I felt like the fifteen seconds I was given were too short. When it had started my hands started shaking like crazy, and I started sweating a little bit. I kept looking at the time, and started getting really nervous. I tried going really fast, but the cube started clicking, so I slowed down a bit when I saw the time at 46 seconds. I was almost done! I had finished and I dropped the cube onto the table. I had come second place! I was so close to getting first! My time was 52.17 seconds! I was qualified for the finals! When the day of the finals had finally come I was extremely nervous, much more than before. When the classes started coming in, I thought that if I failed, I would be humiliated in front of everyone. I was surprised to see my sister there. I had found out that grade 11 was there too, so thats why she was there. She was waving at me in the distance, and I waved back. Jack did'nt go first this time, it was his other friend. Ho got a pretty good time, but when Jack came, he got 31 seconds! I knew then I couldnt be first, but I guess second? When my name was called, my heart started beating faster and harder than ever. I could hear everyone cheering for me as I was the youngest competitor. Everyone else was in 12th or 13th. I got to the seat and sat down. The timer started. This time I was extremely nervous, I had dropped the cube on the table once or twice, but I managed to solve it under a minute anyways. I looked at the timer when I dropped my cube: 57 seconds. Not a very good time. I ended up in fourth place, but still I was just a 7th grader. Discover the Origin of Mathematics. Maths week, oh how can I ever forget about it, Maths is my favorite subject. The week, we all had so much fun, those days filled with excitement. It was just so amazing. There were so many activities, everyone was confused, in what should they take part. Chess, Rubrics Cube, Sudoku, Maths Quiz, Children VS Parents etc... In all activities students from Year 7 to 13 could take part. Which started to give all a challenge! All children with their own special capability came forth, participated, it really wasn't about winning, it was all about the fun in learning . It was so nice seeing so many students, so many companions, I started to challenge my self more, which helped me to improve so much. The teachers had organised the Maths Week so well. I would really like to thank all those teachers who have done so much of hard work. I love to have the maths week every month. I participated in the Sudoku and Children VS Parents. I had such a great time and i learned so many new things. Sudoku was just so breath taking. I was so scared at first but then I realised that I should not give up, I should give it a try, and later I did get a very good result. Children VS parents was just the best I found. My friends and me had stunning time! Working together was just so wonderful. While this was going on simultaneously the Chess finals was taking place, I could see from their faces that they were having a spectacular time. " The whole Maths week was just fabulous!! I am really thankful to all my teachers. I had a wonderful week! " Before you ask, the MAG Club is the Math & Science Club. (Don’t ask why the abbreviation is M.A.G., instead of M.A.S., I still have to query Ms. Fiona about it.) Anyways, this is what this post will revolve around: the first-ever meeting of the M.A.G Club members. Mind you, the members are selected-meaning you can’t just burst in the meeting room saying you’re a member, even though you weren't given an invite… Since practically everyone there were from different classes, conversations occurred between acquaintances, whilst others that don’t are left sitting in their silence. SO… Ms. Fiona instructed us to form a circle, offering an ice-breaker-Biz, Buzz, Bop. The game requires you to say a specific onomatopoeic word when doing one of the three permitted actions. For example, when an individual wants to target the person to his/her left, he/she must pivot his/her left foot to the target, while exclaiming “BIZ!”. The other exclamations in the game’s title must also be declared with a gesture. When targeting a person across from you, one must say “BOP!” as well as pointing in the direction of the target. Furthermore, pivoting his/her right foot and saying “BUZZ!”, the individual is targeting the one on his/her right. Though its concept is quite rudimentary, there is an added pressure from making a mistake in the gesture and exclamation; the consequence, as in any game, is disqualification. As you can see, with this type of set-up, hilarity would ensue… and it certainly did. Thanks to the ice-breaker, everyone was somehow at ease with each other- the level of awkwardness reducing. And thank goodness for that, as we were immediately congregated into groups by Ms. Fiona. Each group had two mathematical formulas that were entrusted to them. The formulas were relevant to scientific study, of course. Why was this task given, you inquire? Well, since it was the very first meeting, Ms. Fiona wanted to check our style of research as well as our preferred medium in which we present. Everyone had 20 minutes for their respective formulas’ analyses. The amalgamation of these analyses would come in the form of their chosen presentation. There were a gamut of mediums to present in; from PowerPoint (the obvious choice), chart paper, and even role play. Unfortunately, the projector had malfunctioned, so the PowerPoint presentations were unable to be exhibited… meaning that half of the groups had nothing present... Thankfully, the groups, which have produced PowerPoint presentations, will be able to display them in the next meeting. The remaining groups, having the ‘common sense’ to not present their analyses in the conformist ways of the powerpoint, exhibited their presentations; inadvertently teaching the few others who were unaware of such formulas. (Which is ME). All in all, I am elated and anxious of what’s more to happen in the future: Possibly more activities organized in such ways to enhance my ‘brain power’. My mathematical and scientific knowledge will surely be broadened as the meetings go by. |
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
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