Not what you might generally expect to read on a Friday, but a reminder of an elegant geometry puzzle in today’s Financial Times letters page.
Take a square of 8 x 8 units = 64 square units. Divide it into two triangles of 3 units x 8 units and two polygons with two sides of 5 units and one side of 3 units and rearrange those four pieces into a rectangle – see above. The resultant rectangle will be 5 units by 13 units = 65 square units! One square unit out of nothing?
Without giving too much away, the apparent paradox of taking one shape and making a larger shape using the same pieces in fact isn’t a paradox at all. It’s more of a sneak.
I won’t link directly to a solution, but if you want one, I suggest you give the excellent ‘Cut the Knot‘ website a try.
We suggest you explore their website for puzzles that will draw on and enrich your child’s experience with our maths tutor.
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