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MathXplosion, Ep 8: Birthday probability

What is the probability there are at least two people in your class who have the same birthday? If you have at least 23 people in your class, the chances are good. Find out the maths behind this theory.

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BTN: Leap second

We all know there are 60 seconds in a minute... or are there? Every few years an extra second is added to a day, and this is called a 'leap second'. Find out why we have leap seconds and why they mightn't be around for much longer.

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Catalyst: Take the Phi Golden challenge

The golden ratio, Phi: fact or fallacy? What about the Fibonacci sequence? We are told this ratio and its cousin Fibonacci occur everywhere in nature. Let's see which of these claims stacks up when put to the test.

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MathXplosion, Ep 22: How to communicate numbers with Roman numerals

Explore an alternative way to communicate numbers using the anchor numbers 5 and 10 and the ancient Roman counting system based on letters. Roman numerals were used throughout Europe well into the middle ages and still appear in the names of monarchs, the production year of films, on buildings and on timepieces.

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BTN: Yes, fashion designers need maths skills!

Are you interested in becoming a fashion designer? Or an architect? Or a pilot? Did you know that you need maths skills to succeed in all of these careers? Watch this video to learn how fashion designer Cristina uses maths in her work. How does architect Thomas use it? And why is maths important to pilot Paul? Can you think ...

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2D and 3D shapes

Watch this video to learn about the features of 2D shapes. How is it different from the features of 3D shapes (solids)? Some examples of solids that incorporate 2D shapes are mentioned in this video by Sanchit - for example, a cube has six square faces. What other 3D shapes could you make that has at least one square face?

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Graphing

Graphs can be used to illustrate the relationship between two variables. Watch this fun animation from NASA to learn the basics of graphing.

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Solving percentage problems

This digital resource is a video demonstration of a procedural method to calculate an unknown quantity, given an amount is a known percentage of the unknown. For a single example, students are presented with an algorithmic, step-by-step, pen-and-paper method. The demonstration is complemented by the presenter's commentary ...

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Decimals and fractions

This is a video demonstration of converting decimal fractions to simplified fractions. In the commentary, the presenter highlights the relevance of understanding and applying place value concepts, including the efficiency in initially interpreting the fractional part of the decimal fraction as a single fraction. Practice ...

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Mixed Up Maths, Ep 1: Monumental measurement mess ups

Did you know that in Australia we use a metric system for measurement? See if you know the units of measurement for length, mass and volume. Find out what system the United States uses. You guessed it - they don't use the metric system! See how a mix up of these units can cause all kinds of mess ups.

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Numbers Count: Chance and playing with dice

Have you ever played a game that required you to roll a dice? Did you know that you have equal chances of rolling any of the six numbers? Can you think of another experiment where you have an equal chance of getting one result or the other?

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MathXplosion, Ep 20: Crack an ancient Roman code

Decrypt the ancient cipher box used by Julius Caesar over 2,000 years ago! By shifting the alphabet or replacing one letter for another further down the alphabetical sequence, you can crack a coded message. The secret to a cipher is one special piece of shared information, known as a key. This shared key is required for ...

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Maths inside bees and beehives

Bees are necessary for assisting many plants to produce the food we eat, including meat and milk. Colony collapse disorder, which describes the disappearance of beehives, could have catastrophic effects on food production. Australian scientists are applying their maths and science knowledge to build up a picture of a healthy ...

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Pigs in hiding

The pigs are playing a game of hide and seek. One pig counts to 100 while all the other pigs go and hide. But where are the hiding pigs? The pig cannot find the hiding pigs so he sets up a table of food to lure the other pigs from their hiding places. The spoken text of this short animated story is featured in speech bubbles ...

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Play School: Buttons and shapes

Have you ever looked at the buttons on your clothes? What shapes are they? You will find that most buttons are circles, but sometimes they can come in really different and interesting shapes, sizes and colours! What are some of the button shapes and colours mentioned in this video?

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Using maths to understand the universe

When completed, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project will be the largest and most capable radio telescope available to scientists. Radio telescopes like the SKA detect radio waves produced by events and objects in the furthest reaches of space, translating these waves into data and imagery that allow scientists to study ...

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Months of the year

How many months are there in a year? What are they? In what month is your birthday? In Australia, depending on where you live, you can have either four seasons or two. Find out how many seasons there are where you live. What are they? In which months do these seasons occur in?

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Understanding exponents: 2

This resource is a short video presentation, with audio commentary, in which the meaning of exponents or powers of a number is explained. In the numerical example used the presenter explains the difference between evaluating the power of a number and the product of two numbers.

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Rounding whole numbers: 2

This is a video demonstration of rounding a whole number to the nearest thousand. In the commentary, the presenter explains the thinking behind the process of rounding such numbers and presents a visual representation of rounding whole numbers using a number line. Practice questions with answers are included, and hints ...

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Mean, median and mode

This resource is a video demonstration, with audio commentary, about calculating the mean, median and mode of a data set. The meaning of each of the terms - mean, median and mode - is explained and the difference between them is clarified. The resource explains the process and demonstrates a handwritten method for calculating ...