Mathematical Optical IllusionsDon't let your brain be fooled by these geometric optical illusions in this online quiz. |
There are five mathematical optical illusions that you can see by clicking on the tabs above.
Each illusion comes with a question which you can answer using the dropdown boxes below.
When you think you have answered all five questions correctly click on the Check button.
You need to get all five answers correct first time to win a trophy.
If you get one or more answers wrong the diagrams will change to show the correct answer.
What colour is the arc that passes through the centre of the black circle?
Which line is longer: red or blue?
What is the colour of the longest line: red, blue or green?
Which line is longest: red or blue?
Which line is longest: red or blue?
Click an image above to see the details of the optical illusion.
You got them all correct and have won a trophy!
Midarc |
Trapezia |
Triangle |
Inequalities |
Dumbbells |
Check |
Take your time! Do not click the Check button until you are absolutely sure you have all the answers correct. You only get one chance!
Only after you have made a decision on all five illusions should you click the Check button. You can go back to each diagram as many times as you want by clicking on the tabs above. You can change your answers as many times as you want too.
The answers to this and other Transum puzzles, exercises and activities are available here when you are signed in to your Transum subscription account. If you do not yet have an account and you are a teacher, tutor or parent you can apply for one here.
A Transum subscription also gives you access to the 'Class Admin' student management system, downloadable worksheets many more teaching resources and opens up ad-free access to the Transum website for you and your pupils.
InstructionsTry 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. |
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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 6 May 'Starter of the Day' page by Natalie, London: "I am thankful for providing such wonderful starters. They are of immence help and the students enjoy them very much. These starters have saved my time and have made my lessons enjoyable." Comment recorded on the 25 June 'Starter of the Day' page by Inger.kisby@herts and essex.herts.sch.uk, : "We all love your starters. It is so good to have such a collection. We use them for all age groups and abilities. Have particularly enjoyed KIM's game, as we have not used that for Mathematics before. Keep up the good work and thank you very much |
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Numeracy"Numeracy is a proficiency which is developed mainly in Mathematics but also in other subjects. It is more than an ability to do basic arithmetic. It involves developing confidence and competence with numbers and measures. It requires understanding of the number system, a repertoire of mathematical techniques, and an inclination and ability to solve quantitative or spatial problems in a range of contexts. Numeracy also demands understanding of the ways in which data are gathered by counting and measuring, and presented in graphs, diagrams, charts and tables." Secondary National Strategy, Mathematics at key stage 3 |
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Go MathsLearning 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 MapAre 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. |
Steve Rosse,
Monday, February 13, 2023
"The Buddha says that what we see of the material world is an illusion, a shadow of reality brought to us by a mere five woefully inefficient senses. Cats see more than us, dogs smell more, bats hear more, snakes taste more. The universe that we cannot see, hear, feel, taste or touch is exponentially larger than the one we can.
Quote from Leaving Thailand - A Memoir by Steve Rosse."