Math Is Fun Forum
You are not logged in.
- Topics: Active | Unanswered
#1 2009-02-18 15:47:22
- MathsIsFun
- Administrator
- Registered: 2005-01-21
- Posts: 7,713
New "Manipulative" called "Smart Blocks"
What do you think of Smart Blocks ... ?
Does it work nicely?
"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..." - Leon M. Lederman
Offline
#2 2009-02-19 03:24:31
- Jai Ganesh
- Administrator
- Registered: 2005-06-28
- Posts: 48,412
Re: New "Manipulative" called "Smart Blocks"
Nice Smart Blocks!
They work well....
Please replace
'Move the nlocks around, play with equations.'
with
'Move the blocks around, play with equations.'
A brief note on how the blocks can be manipulated, how to add new blocks, insert numbers/operations etc. would be helpful.
Another novel product from the MathsIsFun factory! 
It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.
Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.
Offline
#3 2009-02-19 03:47:28
- JaneFairfax
- Member
- Registered: 2007-02-23
- Posts: 6,868
Re: New "Manipulative" called "Smart Blocks"
I see that it doesnt do multiplication of negative numbers. I got this equation
Surely that cant be right! 
Last edited by JaneFairfax (2009-03-19 06:10:15)
Offline
#4 2009-02-19 05:47:44
- mathsyperson
- Moderator
- Registered: 2005-06-22
- Posts: 4,900
Re: New "Manipulative" called "Smart Blocks"
I also got it to tell me that [1] [-] [-1] [=] [0].
Good fun though! I like how it recognises concatenations (eg. [2] [1] [=] [21]).
Why did the vector cross the road?
It wanted to be normal.
Offline
#5 2009-02-19 06:14:52
- JaneFairfax
- Member
- Registered: 2007-02-23
- Posts: 6,868
Re: New "Manipulative" called "Smart Blocks"
Pity it doesnt do division. Im dying to make it divide by 0 and see what happens. 
Offline
#6 2009-02-19 08:31:59
- MathsIsFun
- Administrator
- Registered: 2005-01-21
- Posts: 7,713
Re: New "Manipulative" called "Smart Blocks"
Thanks guys. Good error findings, too.
"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..." - Leon M. Lederman
Offline
#7 2009-05-09 13:39:40
- quittyqat
- Member
- Registered: 2009-04-08
- Posts: 1,215
Re: New "Manipulative" called "Smart Blocks"
I got it to say 1=1+1....
How can that be true?
I'll be here at least once every decade.
Offline
#8 2009-05-09 13:47:55
- MathsIsFun
- Administrator
- Registered: 2005-01-21
- Posts: 7,713
Re: New "Manipulative" called "Smart Blocks"
Poor thing only calculates left to right
"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..." - Leon M. Lederman
Offline
#9 2009-05-09 16:12:31
- Identity
- Member
- Registered: 2007-04-18
- Posts: 934
Re: New "Manipulative" called "Smart Blocks"
If you do
12x+=
or something like that it comes up with 0... maybe just call it 'incorrect expression' or something
Offline
#10 2009-05-09 17:09:54
- MathsIsFun
- Administrator
- Registered: 2005-01-21
- Posts: 7,713
Re: New "Manipulative" called "Smart Blocks"
Good point. Maybe "?" would be neat
"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..." - Leon M. Lederman
Offline
#11 2009-05-10 07:54:15
- simron
- Real Member
- Registered: 2006-10-07
- Posts: 237
Re: New "Manipulative" called "Smart Blocks"
Haha, just noticed this feature:
5352526542.... + 1 = BIG
Linux FTW
Offline
#12 2009-05-10 12:46:51
- quittyqat
- Member
- Registered: 2009-04-08
- Posts: 1,215
Re: New "Manipulative" called "Smart Blocks"
If you click on the background and drag around all the blocks on the screen, then when you move a block, all of them move.
I'll be here at least once every decade.
Offline
#13 2009-05-10 14:57:38
- Ricky
- Moderator
- Registered: 2005-12-04
- Posts: 3,791
Re: New "Manipulative" called "Smart Blocks"
Using | | for boxes, I got: |1| = |1| |0| = |10|
"In the real world, this would be a problem. But in mathematics, we can just define a place where this problem doesn't exist. So we'll go ahead and do that now..."
Offline
#14 2009-05-10 17:43:35
- MathsIsFun
- Administrator
- Registered: 2005-01-21
- Posts: 7,713
Re: New "Manipulative" called "Smart Blocks"
Yep ... left to right.
Maybe the "=" should be an arrow. But then it loses its relevance (1+1->2 does not relate to normal teaching of 1+1=2)
"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..." - Leon M. Lederman
Offline
#15 2010-01-23 03:39:20
- quittyqat
- Member
- Registered: 2009-04-08
- Posts: 1,215
Re: New "Manipulative" called "Smart Blocks"
BIGx7=BIG?
P.S. Can someone teach me how to take a screenshot? I'm trying to fill the screen with "BIGs".
Last edited by quittyqat (2010-01-23 03:56:17)
I'll be here at least once every decade.
Offline