Mum Asks Internet For Help With Seven-Year-Old's Puzzling Maths Homework Question

A mum reached out for help on Facebook after her seven-year-old's maths homework left her dumbfounded.

Teresa Hopper posted a picture of the puzzling problem in the Family Lockdown Tips and Tricks group, alongside the caption: "I hate homework. Please help! Is the answer to a) & b) the same or am I missing something?!"

The confusing questions read as follows: "Karla says: 'I have three hundreds counters, 17 tens counters and 16 ones counters.'

"A) Can she make two equal three-digit numbers? If so, draw the counters to show them.

" B) Can she make two equal three-digit numbers if she had to use all her counters? If so, draw the counters to show them."

Facebook/Family Lockdown Tips and Tricks

Unfortunately for Teresa, help was not immediately forthcoming, with many other grown-ups left perplexed by the child's assignment.

One person commented: "I struggle with things like this when my kids bring them home so much.

"It literally might as well say how many counters do I need if I want to make a pie divided by the number of people in the car when the chickens crossed the road. That's how much sense it makes to me. How I passed Maths I'll never know..."

Another said: "If it is too hard for the kids to work out then the homework is pointless in my opinion. No benefit to anybody if the parents have to work it out."

A third added: "My school work wasn't that hard - what they training them for, NASA?!"

Indeed, even a highly qualified mathematician didn't get it.

She wrote: "I have a PhD in Maths, and I have no idea what this question is asking. Unless there's a diagram to go with it, or more explanation somewhere else..."

I dunno about you, dear reader, but I'm thinking of spending the evening getting myself a maths PhD, because the questions seem pretty straightforward to me.

As far as I can tell, the answer to question A is 'yes', and there are many ways you could arrange the counters to show your working, for example, by simply arranging the counters into two piles of 110.

And the answer to question B is 'yes', because the sum of all the counters is 486, which divided by two equals 243 - aka two equal three-digit numbers.

Pixabay/sandid

Thankfully, with the help of the Family Lockdown Tips and Tricks Facebook group, Teresa told Fabulous that she did eventually get the answer.

She said: "I did and the teacher has marked it as correct! I certainly didn't expect it to be so difficult."

A well-earned tick there then for Teresa and the Family Lockdown Tips and Tricks Facebook group... and Teresa's seven-year-old.

Topics: Interesting, Community

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey