Equations and Formulae - Key Stage 4
This collection of resources supports the teaching of Equations and Formulae.
Here are some of the favourite activities selected by the NRICH team.
- Which is Bigger Which is bigger, n+10 or 2n+3? Can you find a good method of answering similar questions?
- Warmsnug Double Glazing How have "Warmsnug" arrived at the prices shown on their windows? Which window has been given an incorrect price?
- Matchless There is a particular value of x, and a value of y to go with it, which make all five expressions equal in value, can you find that x, y pair ?
- How Old am I? In 15 years' time my age will be the square of my age 15 years ago. Can you work out my age, and when I had other special birthdays?
These are just a few of the activities on Equations and Formulae that you can find on the NRICH curriculum pages.
The activities below, taken from the STEM Learning website, complement the NRICH activities above.
Linear Equations
This resource is an interactive excel program enabling students to reveal each step in the working when solving various types of linear equations in one unknown.
The equations range from ax + b=c to a(x+b)= cx+d. Solutions may be positive, negative or fractions.
The resource also has six sheets of questions suitable for duplication and use in the classroom.
Sequences
Number Sequences: Non-linear’ is an Excel spreadsheet for students to investigate triangular numbers, square numbers, pentagonal patterns and other non-linear sequence problems. Students are encouraged to find the formula for each of these sequences. Solutions to each problem can be revealed.
Sequences
This resource has a number of ideas for investigating sequences.
Page 6 has ideas relating to a problem of generating a formula for the top number based on a pyramid of numbers. The bottom of the pyramid initially has a set of consecutive integers beginning with a three high pyramid. A handout for this is available on page 16.
Equations
This video from Teachers TV observes mathematics teacher Jonny Heeley, winner of the Guardian Award for Teacher of the Year in a Secondary School, as he inspires a group of gifted and talented Year Nine students with an interactive lesson on equations. The students explore equations and expressions before using a quadratic equation to find the dimensions of a flowerbed.
