Calculator Tricks 6 By Brian Carruthers I HOPE YOUR STUDENTS ENJOY THIS ONE. REGARDS, BRIAN.

The 6174 Loop Select a four-digit number using four different digits. (Don’t use 1111 or 2222 etc.) Arrange the digits in increasing order. Now arrange the digits in decreasing order. Subtract the smaller numbers from the larger number. HI MAGGIE, THIS IS ANOTHER POWERPOINT FOR LEVEL 1 – 2 NUMERACY STUDENTS. FUNDING HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING AND/OR PHYSICAL DIFFICULTIES REGARDING ICT SKILLS SO I AM REDISCOVERING MY FAVOURITE SUBJECT (MATHS). HOWEVER, I STILL LIKE TO MAKE MY CLASSES DIFFERENT BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE ‘FOND’ MEMORIES OF OUR MATHS TEACHERS. WHAT I AM TRYING TO DO NOW IS TO PUT TOGETHER A LIBRARY OF SHOWING STUDENTS THAT THERE IS MORE THAN ONE WAY TO LEARN A SPECIFIC SBJECT, ESPECIALLY NUMERACY. MY PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY TO LEARNING IS TO INCORPORATE BOTH WORK AND PLAY REGARDING BRAIN STORMING. I ALWAYS TRY TO END ON A FUN DAY RATHER THAN JUST AN EXAM. IF I CAN RETAIN AN INTEREST, MY STUDENTS WILL CONTINUE TO SEE MATHS IN A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE . REGARDS, BRIAN.

Repeat steps 2, 3, and 4 with the result, and so on. What happens?

Let’s try, say, 7173 Arrange the digits in increasing order: 1377 Arrange the digits in decreasing order: 7731 Subtract the smaller number from the larger number.

7731-1377 = 6354 Repeat the process with 6354 6543 – 3456 = 3087 8730 – 0378 = 8352 8532 – 2358 = 6174 7641 – 1467 = 6174 7641 – 1467 = 6174 (we’re in a loop)

Amazingly, all four-digit numbers except: multiples of 1111 end up in the 6174–loop. No real reason has yet been found for this phenomenon.

What did you think of that? Now! What did you think of that?