sept 28, 2009

Problem of the Week

for Monday, September 28, 2009

Several of you found a beautiful way to make four triangles with only four marshmallows (see below). But now suppose you have a fifth marshmallow (you still have an unlimited number of identical toothpicks).

1) How many triangles can you make now?

2) What if you allow yourself to break the toothpicks so that they can have different lengths? What is the total number of triangles that can be made?

Winners of the five marshmallow problem