Topics: Starter | Fractions | Investigations

• Inger Kisby, Herts and Essex High School
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• The lemon law was wonderful as it catered for all abilities. My year 7 top set also enjoyed the fractions adding up to one ninth
• Harrytown Catholic High School, 9A
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• We found the 1/27 + 1/27 + 1/27 quite easily, we then had a good discussion at the different denominators. We initially thought it was 1/26 + 1/27 + 1/28 but we did manage to prove this did not work. We eventually found the solution 1/18 + 1/27 + 1/54 using some algebra.
• Grade 12 Advanced Functions, Port Hope, Ontario, Canada
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• My class determined that one of the denominators had to be 9 and then the other two could be +2 and -2, or +3 and -3, or + 4 and -4, etc.
• Lucius Evans, Mandeville
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• My year 7 students cracked this up much faster than I anticipated. Thereafter they were led to write up their own following this pattern.Interestingly they increased the number of fractions and went beyond unit fractions.
• Transum,
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• Thanks so much for sharing your solutions, methods and thoughts on this question. It is good to know that as your pupils are working on this task, students in other classrooms around the world are contemplating the very same conundrum. Reading others' comments helps bring the mathematics to life and create a sense of a community of learners enjoying this fascinating subject. Keep those comments, observations and anecdotes coming!

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