BUDDING brainiacs at Rugby High School have achieved record results in a nationwide maths competition.
Year 7 and 8 students were awarded over 100 certificates in the UK Junior Mathematical Challenge – including 19 prestigious Golds which are only awarded to the top 6% of young mathematicians in the country.
Seven girls achieved such high results that they are now eligible for the European-wide competition.
Lizzy Howes, maths teacher at the school, said: “This is an outstanding achievement. It reflects our students’ ability to apply their mathematical skills to unusual situations and problems.”
The Junior Mathematical Challenge is run by the UK Mathematics Trust, a registered charity whose aim is to advance the education of young people in mathematics.
The Challenge consists of a one-hour paper with 25 questions of increasing difficulty – and for the toughest questions, students lose marks for the wrong answers.
See if you can square up to the whizz-kids from Rugby High School with a selection of questions from this year’s Junior Mathematical Challenge:
1. What is the smallest prime number that is the sum of three different prime numbers?
A) 11 B) 15 C) 17 D) 19 E) 23
2. A fish weighs the total of 2kg plus a third of its own weight. What is the weight of the fish in kg?
A) 2 and one third B) 3 C) 4 D) 6 E) 8
3. Here are four statements.
Knave of Hearts: “I stole the tarts.”
Knave of Clubs: “The Knave of Hearts is lying.”
Knave of Diamonds: “The Knave of Clubs is lying.”
Knave of Spades: “The Knave of Diamonds is lying.”
How many of the four Knaves were telling the truth?
A) 1 B) 2 C) 3 D) 4 E) More information is needed.
ANSWERS:
1. 19 (the numbers are 3, 5 and 11)
2. 3 (2kg is two-thirds of 3kg)
3. 2 (if the first person is telling the truth, then Clubs is not, Diamonds is, but Spades is not – and vice versa).
