Math Is Fun Forum

Oculus8596

Banned

From: Great Lakes,Illinois

Registered: 2024-09-18

Posts: 126

Creepy Mathematics?

Find a clock in your house. The numbers given in a clockwise rotation are as follows: 12, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and back to 12.

From the numbers given in your clock, do this:

12 + 1 = 13

11 + 2 = 13

10 + 3 = 13

9 + 4 = 13

8 + 5 = 13

7 + 6 = 13

Creepy? Coincidence? Mysterious?

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The best things in life are not always free.

Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,597

Re: Creepy Mathematics?

The first number in each sum is decreasing by 1 and the second number is increasing by 1. So I would expect the total to stay constant.

In general if a + b = c  then (a+1) + (b-1) = c and more generally still, (a + n) + (b - n) = c for all n.

Bob

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Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything;  you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you!  …………….Bob

Oculus8596

Banned

From: Great Lakes,Illinois

Registered: 2024-09-18

Posts: 126

Re: Creepy Mathematics?

The first number in each sum is decreasing by 1 and the second number is increasing by 1. So I would expect the total to stay constant.

In general if a + b = c  then (a+1) + (b-1) = c and more generally still, (a + n) + (b - n) = c for all n.

Bob

Thank you for a general formula explaining the clock number structure.

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The best things in life are not always free.