In Class 4, we’ve been embarking on an exciting mathematical journey, delving into the fascinating world of square and cube numbers. We’ve been using multi-link cubes to help us visualize and understand these special numbers.
A square number is a number multiplied by itself. For example, 4 is a square number because it’s 2 multiplied by 2 (2 x 2 = 4). We can represent square numbers visually using our multi-link cubes by arranging them in a square formation.
A cube number is a number multiplied by itself three times. For instance, 8 is a cube number because it’s 2 multiplied by 2 multiplied by 2 (2 x 2 x 2 = 8). We can visualize cube numbers by building 3D cubes with our multi-link cubes.
While square and cube numbers are related, they also have distinct characteristics. Square numbers result in 2D arrays (squares), whereas cube numbers form 3D arrays (cubes). Some very astute pupils also noticed that you can go further and multiply a number by itself four times over (eg. 2x2x2x2=16) but you would need another way of representing this (a fourth dimension!)
By exploring these concepts hands-on with our multi-link cubes, we’ve gained a much deeper understanding of square and cube numbers. We’ve also developed our problem-solving skills and learned to think critically about mathematical patterns.
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- Gathering as many cubes as we can!
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- 3 Cubed
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- 4 Cubed
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- Building 5 squared
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- 4 cubed
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- The joy of maths!
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- Some cube numbers were surprisingly big and needed a lot of cubes!
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- Recording our cubes. We definitely couldn’t build all of these!
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- A full 5 cubed. How many multi-links did we need for this?!
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- Ta dah!
