FACEBOOK.COM/FUNFORKIDZ • FUNFORKIDZ.COM
Presents... 3 Check It Out! 4 How Many Fish? 5 SOS 6 Counting Is for the Birds 8 10 Fun Number Facts 10 Number 13, Unlucky? 11 Math to Move a Giraffe 12 The Infinity Inn 14 Puzzles 16 Max & Gracie 17 A Hot Science Trick 18 90 Pounds of Food a Day 20 We’re Hot About Numbers! 21 Drawing with Numbers 22 Magical Number Nine 23 10 Facts About Number 10 24 Crazy Numbers 25 Squared Away! 26 It’s a Numbers Game 28 A World of Numbers 29 Kids Corner 30 Puzzle Solutions 2
How old are you? When is your birthday? What day of the month is it? If there were no numbers, you wouldn’t know how old you are. And if there were no calendars with dates on them, we wouldn’t know when to celebrate your birthday. Do you play soccer or another team sport? If you do, then you probably have a shirt with a number on it to wear. This way, you can be identified when you are playing a game. What if there were no numbers? How would we identify players easily, and how would we keep score? In this issue, there are animal stories where numbers are needed. Do you know how to count a flock of birds or a school of fish? You will discover that and more. There are puzzles, riddles, and cartoons, all with numbers and even a couple of tricks to try on your family and friends. They will be impressed by you! Settle back in a comfortable chair and have a pencil handy. You’ll also learn how to draw cartoons with just numbers. There is something fun for everyone! And numbers can be lots of fun!
3
If you think counting large numbers of animals could be difficult, imagine trying to count live fish. This information is needed to see how the number of a particular kind of fish changes from year to year. Many biologists use electrofishing equipment for counting fish. A special form of electricity is sent into the water. It attracts and stuns the fish momentarily. In that brief moment, the crew on the boat captures the fish in a net. The fish are placed in a holding tank on the boat. Once the fish are revived, the crew weighs, measures, and tags them. Then they are released back into the water. During one pass down a river, about ten percent of the fish are caught and counted. After the tagged fish have been back in the water for a week or more, a second pass is made through the same section of water. The fish caught the second time are divided between the tagged and untagged fish. Both are counted. Biologists are able to estimate the actual number of fish living in the river by comparing the number of tagged and untagged fish caught.
4
by Beverly McLoughland illustrated by Dan Fry Sammy’s head is pounding. Sammy’s in pain. A long division’s got Stuck in his brain. Call for the locksmith. Call the engineer. Call for the plumber To suck out his ear. Call the brain surgeon To pry out the mess. Call out the Coast Guard SOS Because Sammy’s head is pounding. Sammy is in pain. A long division’s got Stuck in his brain.
5
Counting Is for the Birds by Shirley Anne Ramaley
Wildlife biologists need to know the numbers of birds of the various species. This helps them determine the health of bird populations. If there is a flock of birds flying, and the total number is low, it is possible to just count them. But if the numbers of birds in one flock are huge, how do you count them, especially as they are flying? What if you need to know the numbers of each species, and the flock has several species flying together? Fortunately, there are now many ways to count these birds and get accurate numbers. If the flock of birds isn’t too big, with practice, you can learn to count the numbers in groups of five or 10, instead of one by one. If the flock is a big one, biologists can use a method called “blocking” or the “grid technique.” Using a photograph, the whole flock is divided into grids. The numbers of birds in one grid are counted individually, or as close to one by one as is possible. The total number of birds in one grid is then multiplied by the total number of grids. For example, if there are 10 grids and the one grid that was counted has 100 birds, then 10x100 = 1000. If the entire flock can be photographed with a digital camera, an accurate total number of birds can be figured. The photograph can be printed and each bird counted individually. This can take a long time if the flock is an especially big one.
6
What if there are several kinds of birds in the flock and the biologists need to know the total numbers of each kind? Again, using the grid technique, each individual species is counted. Then the total numbers are multiplied by the total number of grids. There are other methods, too, including using a timing count when a large flock is flying fast. Often a remote camera is used with a timer. It may seem strange, but the health of birds may depend on numbers. If the number of birds in a species suddenly drops, biologists may figure out what is causing this.
7
8
9
? y k c u l n U , 3 1 r e Numb ey by Kell
ker
Hunsic
Have you heard someone refer to the number 13 as unlucky? Did you know that some hotels don’t have a room with the number 13 on it? Some buildings don’t even have a 13th floor. Here is something about the number 13 that most Americans should know, but don’t.
The next time you have a dollar bill, take a good look at it. On the back side, you will see two circles with pictures in them. The two circles represent the front and back of the official seal of the United States of America. The circle on the right is the front of the seal. It is pictured on all of our official documents. The bald eagle is a symbol of victory. The shield on the eagle’s chest has 13 stripes. These stand for the original 13 colonies. Above the eagle are 13 stars in the shape of the Jewish Star of David. It is said that this was to commemorate Chaim Solomon, an American Jew. He was responsible for much of the financial backing of the United States Revolutionary War. In the eagle’s left talon, you will see 13 leaves of an olive branch with 13 olives on it. In the right talon, the eagle holds 13 arrows. The olive branch and fruit symbolize peace. The arrows symbolize war. The eagle’s head is turned toward the olive branch, meaning we are a nation who prefers to live in peace, but will fight if we have to. Looking at the circle on the left side of the dollar bill, you will see a pyramid in the center. There are 13 layers of brick on the unfinished pyramid. This could have meant we had only just begun to build our nation at that time. The triangle cap over the pyramid has an all-seeing eye in the center. As a symbol of divinity, it means that God is watching over the building of a new nation. The Latin words “Annuit Coeptis” written above it (containing exactly 13 letters) means “God has favor on our undertaking.” Now you know about our nation’s history with the number 13.
10
by Denise Beeston
Sometimes zoos and animal preserves need to take a giraffe from one place to another. They often have to travel under overpasses, which are generally 16 feet tall. An adult male giraffe, being 18 feet tall, is already too tall to walk under overpasses. It’s definitely too tall to ride safely under them on the back of a truck. A giraffe cannot lie down in the back of a truck. If it did, its own body weight would crush its heart and lungs. It must stand when traveling. A truck used to transport a giraffe is 4 or 5 feet off the ground. The height of an overpass is 16 feet. Subtract the height of the truck, 5 feet, from 16 feet. You are left with 11 feet. A giraffe cannot be taller than 11 feet to safely ride under an overpass on a truck. Baby giraffes are around 6 feet tall when they’re born. A baby giraffe is not fully ready to leave its mother until it is 6 months old.
The baby giraffe will grow 4 feet more over the next 18 months. This will make it 10 feet tall. Since it is under 11 feet tall, a young giraffe can travel under an overpass with no problem. Over the next 18 months, the baby will grow four more feet, making it 10 feet tall. Remember, your number is 11: This is the perfect height for traveling under the overpasses. By looking at all of these factors – the height of overpasses, trucks and giraffes, health factors, and when babies are weaned from their mothers – what did you calculate as the best time to move a giraffe? If you figured sometime between six and 18 months old, then you came up with the same answer given by Renee Sowards, former zookeeper of the Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, Arizona.
11
T HE INFIN ITY IN N by Laurie Wallmark • illustrated by Pamela Harden “Welcome to the Infinity Inn,” the clerk said, “where there’s always room for one more.” “Wow,” Max said. “You must have lots of rooms here. How many are there?” “We have a never-ending number of rooms.” Max glanced at the letters blinking above the clerk’s head. “But why does that sign say ‘No Vacancy?’” “Because all our rooms are occupied.” The clerk handed Max’s father a sheet of paper and a pen. “Would you like to check in?” Max scrunched his forehead. “I don’t understand. How can we check in, if all the rooms are full?” “No problem.” The clerk turned to his computer. “I’ll free up a room for you. I’ll move the people in Room 1 to Room 2. The ones who were in 2, I’ll put in Room 3. Those people will move to Room 4, and so on.” He flipped a switch behind him and the signed changed to ‘Vacancy.’ “I get it,” Max said. “Now Room 1 is empty, so Dad and I can stay there.” Max paused. “But what about the people in the last room? Where will they go?” “That’s the beauty of the Infinity Inn. There isn’t a last room. When you think you’re at the last room, there’s always one more past it.” “So the rooms go on and on forever?” Max said. “Absolutely. That’s how infinity works.” The clerk tilted his head and listened. “Excuse me, but I hear the Infinity Bus pulling up. I must arrange rooms for an infinite number of new people.” “But, but . . .” Max stared at the hordes of people now entering the lobby. “I understand how you emptied a room for Dad and me to stay in. But how can you free up an infinite number of rooms?”
12
“Again, easy.” The clerk swiveled his computer screen so Max could watch. “I’ll move you and your dad from Room 1 to Room 2. The people who were in Room 2 go to Room 4. The Room 3 people go to Room 6, and so on. Now rooms 2, 4, and 6 have guests, but rooms 1, 3, and 5 don’t. “I continue doing this,” the clerk said, “until all the guests are in even-numbered rooms and all the odd-numbered rooms empty. As you know, there are an infinite number of odd numbers. Plenty of room for all our guests from the Infinity Bus.” The clerk motioned to the people standing in the lobby. “Come in, come in. Welcome to the Infinity Inn, where there’s always room for one more.”
13
by Jean Knabbe
Look forward, backward, up, down, and diagonally to find the words in capital letters. After all the words are found, the letters remaining will spell something relating to numbers. COMPUTATION
COUNT
REMAINDER
EQUAL
HUNDREDS
PLANE
EQUATION
CARRY
SUBTRACT
MATH
FRACTION
TOTAL
QUOTIENT
ROOT
SYMBOLS
AREA
PROBLEM
ZERO
MULTIPLY
DIGIT
FORMULA
TENS
TANGENT
SINE
NUMBER
SUM
DECIMAL
UNIT
CHANGE
ODD
CANCEL
ADD
MINUS
NET
DIVIDE
TAX
ROUND
D T F R A C T I O N B C E C
L Y L E U N OCH MO I Y A R DO T N N B CMU U A R T R R A P P X MM OU E S L O
P I A A M E H Y O U T D L B
I T N S R A M B T R I B A M
T L A N G E R N D P U E L T A F M I V L S A CN UQ Y S
U G E L M I R D O N A R E R
M Z E N A N I N O T I G I N D E CN RO DM T E E O T A
E T E I I O L U A U U U R T
R T E T S R U U S D H N L S
O N O I T A U Q E O D D T A
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ .
From: Go Figure! DK Publishing 2005
Give a friend a calculator, and tell them to key in the number of the month in which they were born.
1. Multiply by 4 2. Add 13 3. Multiply by 25 4. Subtract 200 5. Add the day of the month they were born 6. Multiply by 2 7. Subtract 40 8. Multiply by 50 9. Add the last two digits of the year they were born 10. Subtract 10,500 Ask to look at the calculator, and then tell them their full date of birth. The first one or two digits give the month, the next two give the day, and the last two give the year.
by Guy Belleranti
We use numbers for a lot of things, including keeping track of time. Eight periods of time are listed in Column 1. You need to do two things to solve the puzzle. FIRST: Finish filling in the matching periods of time in Column 2. An example is given to help you get started. SECOND: Fill in the circled letter in each Column 2 answer to spell out a Time Measuring Tool that contains a lot of nifty numbers. Time Measuring Tool that contains a lot of nifty numbers:
14
COLUMN 1
COLUMN 2
Example: 1 DAY
is the same as
24 HOURS
10 YEARS
is the same as
1 D_ _ AD_
1 WEEK
is the same as
7 __Y_
1 YEAR WITH 29 DAYS IN FEBRUARY
is the same as
1 _E_P Y__R
1 YEAR
is the same as
52 _ E _ _ _
100 YEARS
is the same as
1 CE__U__
48 HOURS
is the same as
2 _A__
10 DECADES
is the same as
100 Y _ _ _ _
12 MONTHS
is the same as
1 __A_
©Liz Ball www.hiddenpicturepuzzles.com
zero one two three 2 fours five 2 sevens 2 eights nine 2 rulers 3 hearts 1/2 pear 2 tepees teaspoon wristwatch 2 envelopes hand weight Roman numeral ten
©Liz Ball
by David Lindo
Find the letters described by the fraction given in each statement. Print the letters you select, in the order provided, into the boxes to answer the riddle. The last 2/5 of APPLE The middle 1/5 of BLACK The first 1/3 of PYRITE The middle 1/4 of SCREAMER The last 1/6 of DIVER What is a happy frog’s favorite year?
by S. Allyn Kelley
Use the clues to determine the 5 mystery numbers. A. It is less than 30, but greater than 18. It is an even number. You can divide 3 evenly into this number. B. It is less than 20. When you divide it by 3 or 4, the remainder is 2. It is an even number. C. It is exactly half of another number that is less than 40. The number 3 can be divided evenly into it. The number is greater than the number 12. The number is not 13 or 18. D. You can multiply this number by another number to get 100. This is an even number. If 9 is divided by this number, the remainder is 1. E. This is an odd number. When multiplied by itself, this answer is less than 50. When divided by 2 or 3, there is a remainder of 1.
Answers: A.
B.
C.
D.
E. 15
Atlanta, Georgia 10:13 PM Can’t tell because I’m cozy in the hotel room with the air conditioning going Max and Gracie and their owners, Linda, Craig, and their seven-year-old son, Ed, are driving the back roads of America. Perhaps you have seen Max and Gracie with their heads out the window. If not, here is a letter describing their most recent adventure.
ght. Because we know each do, Gracie and I had a fight toni es etim som will rs siste and s As brother she ‘accidentally’ steps r. Gracie knows I hate it when othe h eac ate irrit to how w its other well, we kno mouth open. We also have hab she purposefully chews with her s on nce on my paw, and I hate it when pou I hate it when she Gracie hates it when I snore, and e, anc inst For g. oyin ann be that can
me to get me to stop. ts from the box. Three treats. Two Ed shook the last three dog trea The fight tonight started when way to get to that extra dog shouldered each other out of the We up. ing add n’t was h mat not dogs. The t just because you’re older. It’s probably give you the extra trea biscuit. Gracie piped up, “Ed will
fair.” p up my energy.” e than you do, so I need it to kee “Well, I run around the park mor “Do not.” “Do too.” it.” you, so you should let me have Gracie fumed. “I’m skinnier than “I’m big boned.” stepping on my paw. “Yeah, right.” Gracie whispered, are you going to split three three biscuits left in the box? How only r, dea , “Oh Ed, to said a Then Lind ” biscuits between Max and Gracie? if I split one of them in two?” ut abo Ed thought about it. “How !” Linda laughed. “Good thinking . at me. Our tails thumped together ed look cie Gra I looked at Gracie. leg, and my head k bac my on . Gracie’s head is resting Now we’re resting side by side n though we had a of letting the other know that eve is on her back leg. It’s our way ut each other. fight, we still love and care abo
Max
16
Coins are all about numbers. For example, a penny is worth one cent, and every coin has the year it was made stamped onto it. You’ll use the year number when you do this trick.
What You Do:
What You Need:
• 6 pennies, EACH WITH A DIFFERENT DATE • friends or family members
1. Set the pennies on a table, then turn your back. After you do, ask someone to pick up ANY penny and to look at the date on it. 2. With your back still turned, ask that person to pass the penny to everyone else, so each one can check the date. Tell everyone it is important that NO ONE SAYS ANYTHING while this is happening. 3. Ask that the penny be given back to the first person. Ask this person to hold it TIGHTLY in his or her fist and to count to 10. Then have that person mix it in with the other pennies. 4. NOW, you turn around and QUICKLY pick up each penny. You will KNOW which one was chosen! 5. Read the date on the penny and tell everyone, “THIS is the chosen penny!”
The Science Secret
This science experiment just looks like a magic trick. The science secret is HEAT! People are warm. Pennies are cold. When one of the pennies is passed from hand to hand, it becomes warm from the people holding it. It gets especially warm from being held tightly in a fist. When you turn around and pick up each penny (remember, do this quickly), you’ll feel that one is MUCH warmer than the others. This will be the penny everyone held. The way heat is passed from your friends’ hands to the penny is called CONDUCTION. If it weren’t for HEAT CONDUCTION, this “trick” wouldn’t work!
17
by Denise Wilcox • photos by Mary Lindhjem How much is 90 pounds of food? It’s 270 bananas. Or nine gallons of milk. There’s no way you could eat all that in one day. Even less than two pounds of food would make your stomach scream Stop! Not so for brown bears in Alaska. From mid-summer through fall, they devour as much as 90 pounds of food daily. Brown bears that live inland, in forests and tundra meadows, are known as grizzly bears. Those living by seas are usually called coastal brown bears. They are the same species living in different habitats. Where they live determines their diet. When these bears prepare for winter, they concentrate on the foods that add the pounds of fat they need to survive. One grizzly can scarf over 200,000 berries in a single day. Coastal brown bears prefer to gorge on salmon. They can consume as many as 30 fish in a day. Brown bears’ paws are the size of a major league baseball player’s mitt. At the end of each front paw are five claws as long as crayons. Grizzlies use their claws to scoop berries as they amble across the tundra. Coastal browns use their sharp claws to snag fish. The claws not only serve as eating utensils, they are also used as powerful shovels. In the late fall, brown bears search for denning sites among the roots of large trees or along sheltered slopes. These bears are mostly solitary animals. They dig their dens alone or with the help of their one- or two-year-old cubs. Brown bears are not true hibernators because if disturbed, they will awaken.
18
Mountain brown bear (much smaller than coastal brown bears) using claws to rake through berry bushes
Playful brown bear cubs Female brown bears usually give birth to a pair of cubs during the winter. The cubs are born blind and hairless and are about the size of chipmunks. When you were born, you probably weighed seven to ten times more than a brown bear cub. Cubs grow fast. An adult brown bear weighs between 350 and 1000 pounds when fully grown at the age of five. When standing on their hind legs, adult female brown bears are between five and eight feet tall. Males are six to ten feet tall. When the sow and her cubs are ready to leave their den in spring, the cubs have grown to about 10 pounds and are covered with thick fur. The sow will have lost as much as 40 percent of her body weight over the winter. She leaves the den hungry, in search of water and food. Cubs learn what to eat and how to find food by watching their mothers. Brown bear mothers protect and teach their cubs until they are 2-1/2 years old. Then the mothers chase them away. Bear siblings spend time together and then become solitary, like their parents. Many brown bears travel long, long distances in search of food within their own territory. With their long claws, they reach as high as they can and make scratch marks on trees. These are warnings to other bears entering the area. Brown bears may look fat and slow, but they can run 35 miles an hour. That’s as fast as a racehorse! They are excellent swimmers but rarely climb trees after fully grown. Brown bears require a lot of land to find the food they need to survive. Over one million acres of Alaskan wilderness are protected for the 40,000 bears that live there. If you are ever lucky enough to see one in the wilds of Alaska, it’s a thrilling experience you will never forget.
19
Hot air balloons were invented in the 1700s. A rooster, a duck, and a sheep were the first 3 balloon passengers. Their flight lasted 8 minutes. During the Civil War, hot air balloons were used to spy on the enemy from up to 15 miles away. At a 2010 balloon festival, 1 of the entries was a glass-bottom balloon. The fastest hot air balloon flight was 245 mph. Every year, over 750 balloons take to the sky in the world’s largest balloon festival in New Mexico.
Aneese/Shutterstock.com
20
by Ellen L. Ramsey You can add or subtract them, multiply or divide them, and you can also draw with them. To draw a number person, start by drawing a 0 for the face. Add a 5 for a nose, two 3’s for ears, and two 6’s for the eyes. Maybe this person is wearing glasses, so add an 8 for the glasses. But the glasses might fall off, so add two number 1’s to keep them on. Next, use 7’s for the eyebrows. For a mouth and some teeth, try upside down 4’s, and use 9’s to give your person a curly head of hair. For a final touch, add 2’s to create a collar. You can experiment making other number people, using some or all of the numbers 0 to 9. Think about what numbers could be used for different features: a 4 for a nose, 3’s for eyebrows, and 1’s for straight or spiky hair. Try drawing numbers on a page and rotating the page to see what these numbers could be. A 7 could be a crooked smile or a crooked frown, depending on which way you draw it. You can add different features to your person. An 8 could be a bow tie, 6’s could be earrings, and lots of 0’s could be freckles. You could also create number animals. To draw a number cat, start with a 0, use a 3 for the mouth, a 6 and a 9 for the nose, 1’s for whiskers, 0’s with 2’s and 5’s inside for the eyes, and a 0 and an 8 for a bow. For a number dog, once again, start with a 0. Add another 0 for the snout, use 1’s for the mouth, a 3 and an 8 for the nose, an 8 with 5’s inside for the eyes, 9’s for curly dog hair, and 1’s for long, droopy ears. What about a number alien? Try an odd-shaped 0 for the face (after all, it’s an alien!), three 0’s with 6’s and 9’s inside for three eyes, 7’s for eyebrows, 3’s and an 8 for a mouth, 1’s for the cheeks, slanted 4’s for ears, 9’s for two antennae, and lots of 1’s for a beard. Or try drawing a number monster. Your monster might have four eyes (two 8’s), fangs made from 7’s, and a face covered in scars (2’s). There are countless ways to draw with numbers. Stretch or squeeze the numbers. Reverse a number. Use as many numbers as you need to create number creatures.
21
by Vijaya Khisty Bodach Do you want to learn a nifty trick about multiplication table nine? It’s all in your hands. That’s right. You can read the nine-times table on your hands. Here’s how: Place your hands in front of yourself, palms facing towards you. From left to right, your fingers are one through ten.
2 3 1
4
5 6
7
8 9 10
right
left
Let’s begin. What is 9 x 3? Fold finger three. Count the number of fingers that are standing up LEFT of the folded finger: 2. That will be the 10’s place. Count the number of fingers that are standing RIGHT of the folded finger: 7. That will be the unit’s place. Combine the numbers to read the answer: 27.
3
right
left
Let’s do another one, and you’re on your way to doing the entire nine-times table on your hands. All fingers up. What is 9 x 7? Fold finger 7. The number of fingers standing up LEFT of the folded finger is 6. The number of fingers standing up RIGHT of the folded finger is 3. 9 x 7 = 63 Try it! It really works.
Nifty Nine by Régine Frank
There’s something neat about the product of any number multiplied by nine! Look at the answers to these equations, and use your noodle to discover what’s novel about them.
2 x 9 = 18 3 x 9 = 27 6 x 9 = 54 35 x 9 = 315 224 x 9 = 2016 975 x 9 = 8775 Need a hint? Add up the digits of the products. Keep adding until you have no more than one digit. Now try some other multiples of nine. Notice something nifty?
7 Nice! Note: If there are no fingers standing up, read that as a zero. For example, 9 x 10 = 90.
Answer:
22
right
When you multiply any number by nine, the digits of the product always add up to 9.
left
Ten is our most important number because it is the base of our counting system.
Our counting system is based on 10 because we have 10 fingers.
Lobsters and most other crustaceans have 10 legs. Claws are sometimes counted as legs.
“Ten” spelled backwards is “net.”
The first four numbers added together make 10.
The Roman symbol for 10 is X.
The first 10 amendments to the US Constitution are known as the Bill of Rights.
Thomas Edison set up his first laboratory in his father’s basement when he was 10 years old.
Human hearing reaches its peak at age 10.
Ten pennies make a dime, and 10 dimes make a dollar.
23
“You’ve got an answer for everything, don’t you?”
Numbers Sudoku by Evelyn B. Christensen
8 6
3
1
2 3
5
9
6
8
1
4
5 2
4
1
6
7
3
9 5 8 6
8
3
9
4 1
3
2 8 5
6 9
7
8
2 4 7
2
7
1
4
3
5 9
2
6 A B E
by Jo seph Bore
Fill in the squares so that each row, column, and 9-square section has the numbers 1-9.
F M N R S U
Then use the numbers in the bottom row, paired with the letters below them, to decode the message.
_ _M _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. 4862513 915 784
Number Riddles by Guy Belleranti
1) What do you get when you add 2 and 2? 2) What do you call a cold number? 3) Both of us are numbers. Take away one letter from each of us, and we still sound the same. What numbers are we?
4) How do you make 3 into a plant? Answers on page 30
Answers on page 30
I Got Him,
I Got Him,
I Got Him,
Hooray! by Karyn Muzo
Brothers! Oh, brother, is mine a creep. He thinks he’s cool. He thinks he’s slick, Always up to number tricks (on my allowance day). “Pick a number, any number,” brags he, “Add 5 to it. Now double it up, subtract 4, divide by 2, Then take your secret number away. I bet two-fifty your answer is 3.” Well, as usual, I had to agree. But, “Double or nothing!” is what I cried. “Now you pick a number, any number, Just keep it a secret from me. Add 3, multiply by 2, add 4 to that, And divide by 2. Take your mystery number away, And you’re left with what you owe me. Five dollars, please.”
24
S Q U A R E D A W A Y ! by Régine Frank
Did you know that when you multiply a number by itself, the result is called its “square”? Squaring a large number in your head can be hard for some, but read on for a simple trick to find the square of any number ending in five. First, ignore (or cross out) the 5. Multiply the remaining number by that number, plus one. Then place 25 after the result (don’t add it, just say or write it), and there’s your square! Let’s try an easy one so you can see how it works. What’s the square of 25? Ignore the 5, and you’re left with 2. Add 2 plus 1 to get 3. Multiply 2 by 3 to get 6. Place 25 after 6, and you get 625. The square of 25 is 625. (25 x 25 = 625.) Getting the hang of it? Let’s try another. What’s the square of 65? Ignore the 5, and you’re left with 6.
Does this trick work for larger numbers ending in five? For sure! What if we want to square, say, 415? Multiplying 415 by 415 would take some time. Our trick lets us take the shortcut of multiplying smaller numbers. We start by ignoring the 5 at the end of 415 and looking only at 41. 41 + 1 = 42 Multiply 41 by 42 in your head or on paper, like this:
41
42
x 42
x 41
82
42
or this:
+ 1640
+ 1680
= 1722
= 1722
Did you get 1722? Good! Finish the job by putting 25 after 1722 for the square of 415, which is 172,225!
6+1=7
415 x 415 = 172,225
6 x 7 = 42
Now surprise your family, friends, and classmates with how quickly you can square any number ending in five!
Place 25 after 42 to get 4225. The square of 65 is 4225! (65 x 65 = 4225.) Wasn’t that easy?
25
by J.T. Waite • illustrations by Joan Waites “It’s a game,” Jimmy said, “like solving a puzzle.” Colleen wasn’t really listening. But then she seldom did when Jimmy was going on and on about things. “What is?” she finally asked. “I just told you.” “I know,” Colleen said, “but I have a hard time keeping track of everything you tell me.” She pretended to think. “I know you said something about the grass being green because when dinosaurs roamed the earth, they were so heavy that the color rubbed off the bottoms of their feet.” “Well, it could have happened that way,” Jimmy answered. Colleen rolled her eyes, but she really liked the funny ideas Jimmy came up with. “So, what’s this puzzle,” she asked, “this game of yours?” “It’s like breaking a code,” Jimmy answered. “I give you a series of numbers. One number is missing. You have to figure out what that missing number is.” “How?” “By doing a little math,” Jimmy said. Colleen made a face. “C’mon! Math can be fun!” Jimmy insisted. He got out a piece of paper and wrote on it. “Here are four numbers: 2, 5, 8, 11.” He looked over at Colleen. “What’s the next number?” “How should I know?” Colleen laughed. “It’s a logical progression,” Jimmy said. “Just look at the numbers.” “I’m looking,” Colleen replied. “The numbers get bigger.” “Well, what’s the constant? It’s the number that ties these numbers together.” “I don’t know,” Colleen said. “Look again,” Jimmy answered. “We’ve got 2, 5, 8, and 11. Five is three more than two. Eight is three more than five. Eleven is three more than eight. The constant in this progression is three. To find the next number, all you need to do is add three to the last number you have.” “Yeah, I get it,” Colleen said. “The next number is fourteen!”
26
“Right! You can create a progression that uses addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division. You can make it a little harder by leaving out a number in the middle, like this.” Jimmy wrote down some more numbers: 21, 17, 13, 5. “So what do I do now?” Colleen asked. “The same thing,” Jimmy said. “You can see that the numbers are getting smaller – but not that much smaller. It’s probably subtraction rather than division. You look at the three numbers in sequence. Seventeen is four less than twenty-one. Thirteen is four less than seventeen.” “So the constant is four!” Colleen said. “The missing number has to be four less than thirteen and four more than five.” Jimmy nodded. “The answer is nine!” Coleen said triumphantly. “Right again,” Jimmy said. “You can come up with all sorts of variations as long as there is a constant. It all depends on how hard you want to make the game.” “Or, in my case,” Colleen laughed, “how many fingers and toes I have!”
Here are some number puzzles for you to solve. Just as in the story, there is a constant that links all the numbers in each progression. Some progressions use addition or subtraction. One uses multiplication. Can you fill in the boxes?
A.) 14, 20, 26,
, 38
B . ) 3 , 9 , 2 7 , 8 1 , C.) 160, 148, 136, D.) 15, 22, E.)
, 112
, 36, 43
, 16, 25, 34, 43 (Answers on Page 30)
Now that you’ve got the idea, you can create your own numbers game. See how fast your friends can solve your puzzles!
27
People have invented hundreds of number systems throughout history. A few are shown here. Send us your zip code or another special number written in one of these number systems!
1 Babylonian Egyptian
hieroglyphic
Egyptian
script
Chinese rod
Chinese script Hindu Hebrew Greek Roman Mayan Modern Arabic
28
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Send In your photos, drawings, poems, and jokes & riddles! Email to: kidscorner@funforkidz.com Mail to: Kids Corner, PO Box 227, Bluffton, OH 45817-0227
It’s not too late to see a photo of you and your dog in Fun For Kidz! Email it to us or mail it in. Zander, age 8 Dear Editor, I like the Time issue a lot. (Jan./Feb. 2019) You asked what time phrases we know. My family has “Taylor Time.” That’s when we all pick a fun thing to do. One time, we jumped on our trampoline and made funny shapes with our bodies. We were laughing so much! Can’t wait till the next issue! Colleen Taylor
Dear Editor, What do you do for fun? I like to read, play outside, and do sports. I also like to help my dad work on cars. I’m on a basketball team. I am 11. Your buddy, John Xiao
Dear Editor, I love Fun For Kidz! I like everything in the magazine. My favorite outdoor activity is hide-n-seek. I love reptiles, but I don’t have any. I do have two dogs named Lady and Tank. See ya, Travis Callahan
Coming Next: Sports.
To be part of this issue, send us a photo of you doing your favorite sport!
ATTENTION READERS!
You will no longer be writing to the Editor. Now you will be writing to Ziggy, the Fun For Kidz dog!
You see him on every cover of the magazine. He is the “Z” in Fun For Kidz. Ziggy has ears, eyes, a nose, a mustache over his mouth, and a tail. If you write to Ziggy, he will write back to you! Send your letters to: Fun For Kidz Attn. Ziggy PO Box 227 Bluffton, OH 45817-0227
Ziggy can’t wait to hear from you and send you a letter!
29
Word Search Puzzle on page 14 D T F R A C T I O N B C E C
L E O M Y D N C U T A X O S
Y U C O A O N M A R P M U L
L N H I R T B U R R P M E O
P I A A M E H Y O U T D L B
I T N S R A M B T R I B A M
T A G R D U L A M V S C U Y
L N E N P E T F I L A N Q S
U G E L M I R D O N A R E R
M E A I O I I D C R D T E T
Z N N N T G N E N O M E O A
E T E I I O L U A U U U R T
R T E T S R U U S D H N L S
O N O I T A U Q E O D D T A
A. 24 B. 14
C. 15 D. 4 E. 7
Fraction-nition on page 15
Nifty Numbers on page 14 COLUMN 1
What is a happy frog’s favorite year?
COLUMN 2
Example: 1 DAY
is the same as
24 HOURS
10 YEARS
is the same as
1 D_ _ AD_
1 WEEK
is the same as
7 __Y_
1 YEAR WITH 29 DAYS IN FEBRUARY
is the same as
1 _E_P Y__R
1 YEAR
is the same as
52 _ E _ _ _
100 YEARS
is the same as
1 CE__U__
48 HOURS
is the same as
2 _A__
10 DECADES
is the same as
100 Y _ _ _ _
12 MONTHS
is the same as
1 __A_
LEAP YEAR
Number Riddles on page 24 1. a tutu! 2. a numb-r-r-r-r
CALENDAR
3. Two. Take away the ‘w,’ and it becomes “to.” Four. Take away the ‘u,’ and it becomes “for.”
Numbers Sudoku on page 24
4 6 5 8 3 2 1 7 9
8 1 7 6 5 9 4 3 2
3 2 9 1 7 4 6 8 5
2 3 6 4 9 1 8 5 7
1 5 4 7 2 8 3 9 6
9 7 8 5 6 3 2 1 4
5 9 2 3 8 6 7 4 1
6 8 1 9 4 7 5 2 3
7 4 3 2 1 5 9 6 8
Message: NUMBERS ARE FUN.
30
Mystery Picture Puzzle on page 15
Mystery Number on page 15
4. Take away the ‘h’ in “three,” and you will have a tree.
It’s a Numbers Game on page 27 Constant
Missing Number
A.
+6
32
B.
x3
243
C.
-12
124
D.
+7
29
E.
-9
7
Photo Credits: ©[yobro10/123RF. COM] 3, Natdiglib 22327 extralarge – public domain USFWS 4, Photos by Shirley Anne Ramaley 6-7, Giraffe in truck courtesy Reid Park Zoo 11 (left), Namibie Etosha Girafe 04 [CC BY-SA 3.0] 11 (right), From: Go Figure! DK Publishing 28.
Gift Giving for Friends & Family Don’t forget to let us know where to send your magazine!
Give the kids on your gift list
Fun For Kidz magazine and they’ll run to the mailbox all year long!
Contact us:
Kids love mail!
by email customerservice@funforkidz.com call 419-358-4610 (9 AM - 5 PM E.T.) US Post PO Box 227, Bluffton, OH 45817
Include the following: your name old address new address date to make the switch how to reach you if questions occur
Please allow at least six weeks.
Get a NEW subscription for only $16.48 when you buy one subscription at the regular price of $32.95. (Additional postage cost outside US)
Request a gift card and FREE puzzle poster delivered with the first issue of each subscription.
Order on our website, www.funforkidz.com, using coupon code GIFT, or call us at: 419-358-4610 (9 AM - 5 PM E.T.).
V i s i t U s O n l i n e ! F a c e b o o k . c o m / F u n F o r K i d z • w w w. F u n F o r K i d z . c o m Vol. 18 No. 3 • May/June 2019 Publisher: Thomas M. Edwards Editor: Marilyn Edwards Associate Editor: Diane Winebar Graphic Design: Gaurakisora Tucker Marketing Director: Jonathan Edwards
FUN FOR KIDZ (ISSN 1536-898X) is published bi-monthly by the Bluffton News Publishing and Printing Company, P.O. Box 227, 101 N. Main St., Bluffton, OH 45817-0227. Telephone: 419-358-4610. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Fun For Kidz, P.O. Box 227, Bluffton, OH 45817-0227. Periodical postage is paid at Bluffton, OH and Preston, ID.
Subscriptions: All subscription inquiries and changes of address should be addressed to FUN FOR KIDZ at P.O. Box 227, Bluffton, OH 45817. Telephone: 419-358-4610.
Subscription rates are six issues (1 year) $32.95; twelve issues (2 years) $55.90; eighteen issues (3 years) $68.85. Canadian postage - first class - $18 per year, all other foreign countries first class airmail - $37.50 per year.
FUN FOR KIDZ, INC. accepts no responsibility whatsoever for Replacement Issues: We will replace one damaged or lostany injuries arising out of the use or misuse of ideas, materials, in-the-mail issue per year. Your request must be made within 45 and activities featured in its publications or products. days of the specific issue’s date: January 1, March 1, May 1, July Science Editor: Larry White Copyright © 2019 by the Bluffton News Publishing and Printing 1, September 1, or November 1. Co. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be Science Illustrator: Alan Wassilak reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. Attention Readers: Send in your letters, short stories, Riding ... with Max & Gracie Editor: Lisa Rehfuss FUN FOR KIDZ™, and the FUN FOR KIDZ logo™, are trademarks poems, jokes & riddles, and drawings for publication. Send to: of FUN FOR KIDZ, The Bluffton News Publishing and Printing Co. Kids Corner, PO Box 227, Bluffton, OH 45817. Cover Artist: Chris Sabatino
Circulation Manager: Mark Studer
/funforkidz
funforkidz.com
$7.95
Jump to It!
Speed Skating
Game Over?
Riding the Boards
Thrill on a Hill
Pickleball, Anyone?
Dream Team
Heading for the Olympics A Different Kind of Soccer Player