Elementary POW, November 11-15, 1996

Elem POW Problems || Sept-Nov '96 Problems || Elem POW Main Page

Carrie wanted to put her 6 toy ponies into a pen made of 13 toothpicks
which formed six equal spaces.  It looked like the picture below.


                   MMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMM
                  M    M    M    M    M    M    M
                  M    M    M    M    M    M    M
                  M    M    M    M    M    M    M
                  M    M    M    M    M    M    M
                  M    M    M    M    M    M    M
                   MMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMM

While she was making the pen, one of the toothpicks broke. Oh, no! she
exclaimed. Now one of my ponies won't have a pen.

Can you help Carrie make equal-sized pens for the six ponies with the
twelve remaining toothpicks?

This week's mentors are from Steve Means' Algebra Honors & Trigonometry Class, and the Internet team at Sammamish High School in Bellevue, WA.

Correct Solutions submitted by:

Name: Max Zinser Teacher: Paul Nass School: Georgetown Day School Hometown: Washington D.C. Grade: 4

Name: Ann Guo
Teacher: Mrs. Bach
School: Joyce Kilmer School
Hometown: Mahwah, New Jersey
Grade: 5th grade

Name: Lauren Zaccone
Teacher: Mrs. Bach
School: Joyce Kilmer School
Hometown: Mahwah, New Jersey
Grade: 5th grade

Name: Daniel J. MacDonald and Brandon Coo
Teacher: Mrs. Hamilton
School: Garrison School
Hometown: Dover, NH
Grade:

Name: A.J. Brunovsky
Teacher: Kathy Gutierrez
School: Western Salisbury Elementary
Hometown: Allentown, PA
Grade: 5th grade

Name: Jenny Somach
Teacher: Kathy Gutierrez
School: Western Salisbury Elementary
Hometown: Allentown, PA
Grade: 5th grade

Name: Megan Williams and Cameron Jordan
Teacher: Mary Bristol
School: Ebenezer Elementary School
Hometown: Staesville, North Carolina 28677
Grade: 4th grade

Name: Mitchell Malasky
Teacher: Paul Nass
School: Georgetown Day School
Hometown: Washington D.C
Grade: 5th grade

Name: Neil, Kelsey, Jennifer, Blair, Solomon, Kimberly, Zach, Samantha, Courtney, Michael, Cale, Jason, and Tristan
Teacher: Mrs. Hayes
School: ?
Hometown: ?
Grade: ?

Name: Jesse Smith
Teacher: Nicole Lapinel
School: North Shore Middle School
Hometown: Glen Head NY, 11545
Grade: 6th grade

Name: Nicko Margolies
Teacher: Paul Nass
School: Georgetown Day School
Hometown: WashingtonD.C
Grade: 4th grade

Name: Danielle
Teacher: Mrs.Schill
School: ?
Hometown: ?
Grade: 4th grade

Name: Jason, Zach, Tristan, Robbie, Samantha, Michael, Blair, Kim, Courtney, Neil, Jennifer, Kelsey, and Solomon
Teacher: Mrs. Hayes
School: Shaffer Elementary
Hometown: Littleton, CO
Grade: 4th grade

Name: Joshua Branfman
Teacher: Paul Nass
School: Georgetown Day School
Hometown: Washington DC
Grade: 4th Grade

Name: Amber Hoffman
Teacher: Sparks
School: Griggs Elementary School
Hometown: ??
Grade: 6th grade

Name: Jenny Somach
Teacher: Kathy Gutierrez
School: Western Salisbury
Hometown: Allentown, PA
Grade: ?

Name: Janine
Teacher: Mrs. Schill
School: Seventh District El
Hometown: Parkton, MD 21120
Grade: 4th

Name: Christine Mortimer Rachael Caron Phillip Rogers
Teacher: Mrs. O'Connor
School: Titus Elementary School
Hometown: Warrington, PA
Grade: 4th

Name: Huw Wilkins
Teacher: ?
School: Home School
Hometown: Tasmania, Australia
Grade: 4th

Name: Rachel Forster
Teacher: ?
School: Home School
Hometown: Tasmania, Australia
Grade: 3rd

Name: Kayla Cappadocia
Teacher: Marianne Blair
School: George L. Hess Educational Complex
Hometown: Mays Landing, NJ
Grade: 3rd

Name: Nick Ingram and Matt Steele
Teacher: Bill Richardson
School: Nicholson Elementary
Hometown: Crawfordsville, IN
Grade: ??

Name: Julia Tamasko
Teacher: Paul Nass
School: Georgetown Day School
Hometown: Washington, DC
Grade: 4th

Name: Elena Lobo
Teacher: Paul Nass
School: Georgetown Day School
Hometown: Washington, DC
Grade: 5th

Name: Matt Steele, Nick Ingram
Teacher: B. Richardson
School: Nicholson Elemantary
Hometown: Crawfordsville, IN
Grade: ??

Name: Michael Bilik
Teacher: Paul Nass
School: Georgetown Day School
Hometown: Washington, DC
Grade: 5th

Name: Ashley Stevens
Teacher: Mrs. O'Connor
School: Titus Elementary School
Hometown: Warrington, PA
Grade: 4th

Name: Charity, Miranda, and Tiffany
Teacher: Mrs. Eley
School: Tri Village Intermediate school
Hometown: Ohio
Grade: 4th

Name: Michael Scarito
Teacher: Mrs. Fox
School: Seventh District Elementary
Hometown: Parkton, MD
Grade: 3rd

Name: Alexander Berger
Teacher: Paul Nass
School: Georgetown Day School
Hometown: Washington DC
Grade: ??

Name: Johanna Cornblatt
Teacher: Paul Nass
School: Georgetown Day School
Hometown: Washington DC
Grade: 4th

Name: Rebecca Zeldin
Teacher: Paul Nass
School: Georgetown Day School
Hometown: Washington DC
Grade: 5th

Name: Kevin LaFrance
Teacher: Mrs. Caruso
School: Bagnall School
Hometown: Groveland, MA
Grade: 6th

Name: Mike Cayer
Teacher: Mrs. Caruso
School: Bagnall School
Hometown: Groveland, MA
Grade: 6th

Name: Josh DeBenedetto & Ted Powers
Teacher: Ms. McGuire
School: Center School
Hometown: Stow MA
Grade: 4th

Name: Jason Sapienza
Teacher: Mrs. Kelley
School: Center School
Hometown: Stow MA
Grade: 4th

Name: Michael Healy
Teacher: Mrs. Bartosiewicz
School: Titus Elementary
Hometown: Warrington, PA
Grade: 4th

Name: Stephanie Butikis
Teacher: Mrs. Kelley
School: Center School
Hometown: Stow MA
Grade: 4th

Name: Cassie Mantzoros
Teacher: Mrs. Kelley
School: Center School
Hometown: Stow MA
Grade: 4th

Name: Brian B., Melanie B., Colleen C., Matt F., Lauren G., Kylene J., Kevin M., Kevin McK., Kristi M., Monica R., Brian W., Lauren Anne B., Emily G., Shea M., Rachel T., Stephanie A., Moon C., Sharmila K., and Diana M.
Teacher: Miss Colwell
School: Oak View Elem.
Hometown: Fairfax, Virginia
Grade: 6th

Name: Casey Gorish
Teacher: Mrs. McMahon
School: Murray Middle School
Hometown: Ridgrecres CA
Grade: ??

Name: Randi Reed
Teacher: ??
School:??
Hometown: ??
Grade: 2nd

Name: Jessica Casey and Nate Litz
Teacher: Bob Coulter
School: Forsyth School
Hometown: St. Louis, MO
Grade: 3rd

Name: Daniel Ain
Teacher: Paul Nass
School: Geogretown Day School
Hometown: Washington, DC
Grade: 4th

Name: Conrad Kirby
Teacher: Ms. Williams
School: Burton Geo-World Elem
Hometown: Durham, NC
Grade: 5th

Name: Andrea Olson, Jesse Lueders, Desmond Thornton, Kristin George, Carlos Marriaga, Amanda Kail, Adam Jandl, Amanda Treinen, Myron Dunlap, Jamie Decorah, Dominique Brown, Megan Festge, Ben Brossard, Brandon Jolivette, Natasha Marks, Cassie Mattie, Stephanie Meyer, Robert Watters, Ashley Pina, Amanda Vinje Lisa Erickson, Alex Szewczyk, Zach Larson, Dustin Smith Claine Erlacher, Stacey Brown, Ashlea Virginia, J.T. Turner Charlie Mund,, Carina Bailey, Sarah Mueller, Kate Thornton
Teacher: Ms. Horton Ms. Bernhardt Ms. Kelly Mrs. Dunlap
School: Emerson Elem.
Hometown: Madison, Wisoconsin
Grade: 5th

Name: Carl, Ryan, Jennie, Katie C., Erik, Derek, Tony, Danielle, Dan, Silvia, Courtney, Jason, Jeff K., Scott, John, Roger, Levi, Jeff M., Kyle, Amanda, Lizabe, Andy, Adrianne, Neesee, Sean, Ashley, Katie W., Stacey
Teacher: Miss Maroney
School: Rosemount Elementary
Hometown: Rosemount, Minnesota
Grade: ??

Highlighted Solutions

1. Submitted by Conrad Kirby: Hello. This is my answer to this weeks puzzle:

You will have to make the perimeter of the pen in the shape of a regular hexagon, which uses 6 toothpicks. Then you put the remaining 6 toothpicks from each vertex to the center of the pen, which gives you 6 triangular sections for each pony.

2. Submitted by Michael Scarito: I used dried spaghetti to try out my solution. The answer is: Use the twelve toothpicks to make 6 triangle shape pens of the ponies. It should look like spokes on a wheel with the first 6 toothpicks coming out of a central point. The other 6 toothpicks close the pen and make it a hexagon.

3. Submitted by Oak View Elementary: MMMMMMMMM M M M M M M M M M M MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM M M M M M M M M M M MMMMMMMMM

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