(03/21/97)                           

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MathMagic Cycle 24: Level K-3 Regular 

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PocoLoco Island Numbers:

When anthropologists began studying the recently discovered South Pacific
island of PocoLoco, they found out that the isolated natives had a
strange counting system:

   Symbol Name (our #)   Symbol  Name   (our #)   Symbol    Name   (our #)
     [    uno     1        *[   Pentauno   6       **[  Duopentauno  11
     ][   duo     2        *][  Pentaduo   7       **][ Duopentaduo  12
     ]|[  trio    3        *]|[ Pentatrio  8       **]|[             13
     ][][ cuadro  4        *][][           9       **][][            14
     *    penta   5        **  Duopenta   10       ***  Triopenta    15

    Symbol    Name     (our #)       Symbol     Name       (our #)
     ***[ Triopentauno   16           ****[ Cuadropentauno   21
     ***][               17           ****][                 22
     ***]|[              18           ****]|[                23
     ***][][             19           ****][][               24
     **** Cuadropenta                 (*)   Cincopenta       25

Other numbers included:
                       (**)    Cincoduopenta    50
                       (***)   Cincotriopenta   75
                       (****)  Cincocuadropenta 100
                   and ((*))   Cincocincopenta  125

As promising young anthropologists, your team and your NTPs are asked to
help the island workers by translating these values:

     SIGN                  NAME              OUR EQUIVALENT

    ***]|[ =     ___________________________    ________

    (*)**][][ =  ___________________________    ________

    _________    CINCOTRIOPENTATRIOPENTATRIO    ________

    _________    ___________________________       89

    _________    ___________________________       47

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MathMagic Cycle 24: Level K-3 Advanced 

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Balancing Act

A rich eccentric relative died and left your team 200 gold coins, and some
strange instructions in the will: using only a two plate balance, you are
to find the one coin among them that is made of lead and only gold coated
to look like the rest. The catch is that each time you use the balance you
have to give the executor of the will five gold coins. Since you and your
team members want that money for college, how would you go about weighing
the coins to keep the most? How many coins is that?
 
Remember to write down your steps and conclusions.
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Good luck
MrH