On Thursday 6 February we took part in the UKMT Intermediate Maths Challenge and this year we had around 220 of our top mathematicians taking part. The national challenge is for students in Years 9, 10 and 11 and its aim is to encourage students to think beyond the taught curriculum to solve complex and often bizarre-looking problems. Students who do well get rewarded with bronze, silver or gold certificates, with special prizes for ‘best in year’ and the coveted ‘best in school’. The very best across the country qualify for the next round and, beyond that, successful competitors might be selected for the UK team in subsequent international competitions.
Here is a question from this year’s challenge:
Farmer Fatima rears chickens and goats. Today she returned from market and said: “I sold 80 animals and now there are 200 fewer legs on my farm than before!”
How many goats did she sell?
- A 15
- B 20
- C 25
- D 30
- E 35