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MathXplosion, Ep 1: Magic 9s

Follow these simple calculations to illustrate the special properties of the number 9. Pick your favourite number between 1 and 9 and multiply that number by 3. Add 3 to your answer. Multiply the result by 3. Treat your two-digit answer as two separate numbers and add them together. No matter what number you pick to start ...

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MathXplosion, Ep 17: Develop mathematical mind-reading skills

Amaze your friends with your super mind-reading skills. Here’s a brain game you can play by asking a few questions and substituting letters for numbers! Learn to follow a specific sequence of arithmetical steps to always arrive at the same answer.

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ABC News: Mapping the sea floor

Hydrographers chart the seabed and coastline, giving ships a map to help them avoid running into underwater trouble. Use this clip as a context for exploring the mapping of the sea floor. Think about scale and how to indicate different depths using contour lines.

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MathXplosion, Ep 16: It's an estimate, not a guess!

An approximation is the nearest estimate without having the precise size or measurement of something. See how accurate estimates are made in logical ways using information about many things in our everyday lives.

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Mixed Up Maths, Ep 13: Shapes glorious shapes

Did you know that not all pyramids have a square base? Investigate the bases and faces of some pyramids. Travel around the world as we view some famous structures. First stop, we're in search of a building that is a rectangular prism. Find out which world famous building is a pentagonal prism. See what type of 3 dimensional ...

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MathXplosion, Ep 32: A mean trick

Learn a cool trick using the concept of the mean (or average). Pick any 3 x 3 block of dates on a monthly calendar. The number in the middle square is the mean of the nine numbers that form the 3 x 3 square. If you add all the numbers and divide the total by nine (the number of squares), the answer is the number in the ...

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What skills are important for programming robots?

Listen as David McKinnon from UNSW describes some of the skills that are useful to have if you want to program robots. David explains an activity that exercises problem solving skills. Why don't you try doing it? Look at a map and find some towns that are close to yours. Use the scale on the map to work out the distances ...

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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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Numbers Count: What are factors?

What are factors? Watch as the jelly babies in this clip show you! What are the factors of 12? How many factors does the number 11 have? Try explaining to a friend what a prime number is.

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The Milky Way

What do you know about the Milky Way? Did you know that there are hundreds of billions of stars in it? Before you embark on your stargazing expedition, watch this video to learn how you can use just your hands and a compass to locate stars in the sky! What is the unit of measurement used when you're measuring distances ...

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Area of a square and a triangle

Do you know the formula for working out the area of a square? How about a triangle? Watch this short maths video to learn the formulas for both.

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Catalyst: Probability and the gambler's fallacy

Mathematician Lily Serna visits Luna Park to explain a great probability pitfall. She shares a century-old tale from Monte Carlo casino, and then she puts its lesson to the test. If you flip a coin and it lands on heads three times in a row, what result would you predict for the next flip? Find out why intuition might land ...

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Fractions in the real world

How many quarters make up a whole? Watch this video to find out how else you can represent 2/4 and how to add up quarters to make a whole.

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What is a quarter?

What is a quarter? You get quarters when you divide a whole into four equal parts. Each one of these four parts is a quarter. Watch this great explainer produced by Monique in collaboration with ABC Splash and see how she explains quarters.

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Mixed Up Maths, Ep 4: Late again!

Ever missed an appointment because you misread a timetable? Well it is easily done if you don't know how to read 24 hour time. In this clip, see how to read 24 hour time and find out where it is commonly used. Look at the other time system used -12 hour time. Find out what those letters 'am' and 'pm' really mean! Compare ...

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Mixed Up Maths, Ep 12: Super Cyril's circus supplies

Do you know how to draw up a budget? Find out how it's done. In our example our host is throwing a circus party and has $100 to spend. See how he plans to spend the money. Throw in a few discounts of 10% and 50% and look what he can afford. Does he mange to stick to his budget?

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What Are the Chances?

Do you know what chance is? It's the probability or the likelihood of something happening. Watch this video as Grace explains the probability of picking a red marble out of a bowl. What's the probability of picking a green marble?

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MathXplosion, Ep 33: On the grid

Explore graphs, grids and mapping with a focus on reading and writing location data using coordinate geometry. Grids and maps illustrate the concepts of parallel/perpendicular lines (axes or labelled number lines), ordered pairs and intersection points.

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reSolve: Lamingtons

This sequence of three lessons explores the mathematical idea that fractions represent division. In the first lesson, students are invited to solve a problem involving fair sharing of different plates of lamingtons. Students explore how the denominator represents how many shares and the numerator represents the number being ...

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MathXplosion, Ep 38: How to tell time using a sundial

Find out how to tell the time without a clock! A sundial uses the position of the sun to indicate the time. Typically, a stick (gnomon) casts a shadow upon a plane or surface that has markings, which indicate the time by the position of the shadow. See if you can create a sundial of your own.