Transum Software

Think of a Number

Ten students think of a number then perform various operations on that number. You have to find what the original numbers were.

  Menu   Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4   Help     More  

This is level 1: Whole number THOAN problems. You can earn a trophy if you get at least 7 questions correct.

\( \times 2\)

\(+6\)

\(20\)


Caroline says:
'I think of a number. I double my number and add 6 the answer is 20'
What number was Caroline first thinking of?

Working:

Correct Wrong


Amelia says:
'I am also thinking of a number. If I multiply my number by 2 and add 6 the answer is 24'
What number was Amelia first thinking of?

Working:

Correct Wrong
Mariah says:
'I think of a number. I multiply my number by 3 and add 6 the answer is 69'
What number was Mariah first thinking of?

Working:

Correct Wrong
Jordan says:
'Can you guess what number I am thinking of if when I multiply it by 5 and add 5 the answer is 30?'
What number was Jordan first thinking of?

Working:

Correct Wrong
Jocelyn says:
'If I divide my number by 5 and add 6 the answer is 11'
What number was Jocelyn first thinking of?

Working:

Correct Wrong
Arianna says:
'If I multiply my number by 4 then add 4 then add 5 then add 2 the answer is 91'
What number was Arianna first thinking of?

Working:

Correct Wrong
Isabel says:
'I am thinking of my favourite number. If I add 4 to my number then divide the result by 2, the answer is 4'
What number was Isabel first thinking of?

Working:

Correct Wrong
Marissa says:
'My plan was to add 3 to my number then multiply the result by 3. Then I multiplied the result by 4 and finally subtracted 2. The answer is 202'
What number was Marissa first thinking of?

Working:

Correct Wrong
Autumn says:
'I decided to add 5 to my number then multiply the result by 3, After that I subtracted 5 then doubled the result. The answer is 86'
What number was Autumn first thinking of?

Working:

Correct Wrong
Melanie says:
'If I multiply my number by 4 and subtract 2 then multiply the result by 2, the answer is 4 less than 160'
What number was Melanie first thinking of?

Working:

Correct Wrong
Check

This is Think of a Number level 1. You can also try:
Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

Instructions

Try your best to answer the questions above. Type your answers into the boxes provided leaving no spaces. As you work through the exercise regularly click the "check" button. If you have any wrong answers, do your best to do corrections but if there is anything you don't understand, please ask your teacher for help.

When you have got all of the questions correct you may want to print out this page and paste it into your exercise book. If you keep your work in an ePortfolio you could take a screen shot of your answers and paste that into your Maths file.

Why am I learning this?

Mathematicians are not the people who find Maths easy; they are the people who enjoy how mystifying, puzzling and hard it is. Are you a mathematician?

Comment recorded on the 18 September 'Starter of the Day' page by Mrs. Peacock, Downe House School and Kennet School:

"My year 8's absolutely loved the "Separated Twins" starter. I set it as an optional piece of work for my year 11's over a weekend and one girl came up with 3 independant solutions."

Comment recorded on the 3 October 'Starter of the Day' page by Fiona Bray, Cams Hill School:

"This is an excellent website. We all often use the starters as the pupils come in the door and get settled as we take the register."

Each month a newsletter is published containing details of the new additions to the Transum website and a new puzzle of the month.

The newsletter is then duplicated as a podcast which is available on the major delivery networks. You can listen to the podcast while you are commuting, exercising or relaxing.

Transum breaking news is available on Twitter @Transum and if that's not enough there is also a Transum Facebook page.

Featured Activity

Without Lifting

Without Lifting

Can you draw these diagrams without lifting your pencil from the paper? This is an interactive version of the traditional puzzle. Some diagrams are possible while others are not. What is the rule?

Answers

There are answers to this exercise but they are available in this space to teachers, tutors and parents who have logged in to their Transum subscription on this computer.

A Transum subscription unlocks the answers to the online exercises, quizzes and puzzles. It also provides the teacher with access to quality external links on each of the Transum Topic pages and the facility to add to the collection themselves.

Subscribers can manage class lists, lesson plans and assessment data in the Class Admin application and have access to reports of the Transum Trophies earned by class members.

If you would like to enjoy ad-free access to the thousands of Transum resources, receive our monthly newsletter, unlock the printable worksheets and see our Maths Lesson Finishers then sign up for a subscription now:

Subscribe

Go Maths

Learning and understanding Mathematics, at every level, requires learner engagement. Mathematics is not a spectator sport. Sometimes traditional teaching fails to actively involve students. One way to address the problem is through the use of interactive activities and this web site provides many of those. The Go Maths page is an alphabetical list of free activities designed for students in Secondary/High school.

Maths Map

Are you looking for something specific? An exercise to supplement the topic you are studying at school at the moment perhaps. Navigate using our Maths Map to find exercises, puzzles and Maths lesson starters grouped by topic.

Teachers

If you found this activity useful don't forget to record it in your scheme of work or learning management system. The short URL, ready to be copied and pasted, is as follows:

Alternatively, if you use Google Classroom, all you have to do is click on the green icon below in order to add this activity to one of your classes.

It may be worth remembering that if Transum.org should go offline for whatever reason, there is a mirror site at Transum.info that contains most of the resources that are available here on Transum.org.

When planning to use technology in your lesson always have a plan B!

Do you have any comments? It is always useful to receive feedback and helps make this free resource even more useful for those learning Mathematics anywhere in the world. Click here to enter your comments.

Transum.org is a proud supporter of the kidSAFE Seal Program

© Transum Mathematics 1997-2024
Scan the QR code below to visit the online version of this activity.

This is a QR Code

https://www.Transum.org/go/?Num=58

Description of Levels

Close

Close

Level 1 - Whole number THOAN problems

Level 2 - Decimal THOAN problems

Level 3 - Negative decimal THOAN problems

Level 4 - THOAN problems with the result a multiple of the number

Answers to this exercise are available lower down this page when you are logged in to your Transum account. If you don’t yet have a Transum subscription one can be very quickly set up if you are a teacher, tutor or parent.

Log in Sign up

Curriculum Reference

See the National Curriculum page for links to related online activities and resources.

Example

Daniel says 'If I double my number and add 6 the answer is 30'

Method 1 - Work backwards

Start at the end of the sentence with the answer 30 and undo all of the operations Daniel performed on his number in reverse order.

30 minus 6 then divide by two

The number Daniel was thinking about was 12

 

Method 2 - Form and solve an equation

Let the number that Daniel is first thinking of be n.

2n + 6 = 30

Subtract 6 from both sides

2n = 24

Divide both sides by 2

n = 12

The number Daniel was thinking about was 12

 

Don't wait until you have finished the exercise before you click on the 'Check' button. Click it often as you work through the questions to see if you are answering them correctly. You can double-click the 'Check' button to make it float at the bottom of your screen.

Answers to this exercise are available lower down this page when you are logged in to your Transum account. If you don’t yet have a Transum subscription one can be very quickly set up if you are a teacher, tutor or parent.

Log in Sign up

Close

Close