Palindromes

02 02 2020

0202 02 02

A palindrome reads the same forward or backwards. The second of February 2020 as written above was a Palindrome.

We usually look for palindromes in words: MUM, DAD, LEVEL etc but we can also explore them in numbers.

99 is a Palindrome as are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, but we have a problem when we reach 10. In reverse this is 01.

But wait:  if we take 10 and then add its reverse 01  (10 + 01 = 11) we get 11 a Palindrome.

We call 10 a 1 step palindrome as it takes just one step to turn it into a palindrome

37 is not a palindrome so lets see what happens when we reverse and add:

37 + 73 = 110

110 + 011 = 121

WOW a two step palindrome

 

Most of the numbers from 1 to 100 can be turned into palindromes by reversing adding and continuing until a palindrome is reached.  Each time we reverse and add it is called a step.

Find all the 1 step palindromes, 2 step palindromes, 3 step palindromes and colour accordingly on the 10 chart below.  

Can you find any numbers that don't seem to be able to be converted into a palindrome?

Find palindromes for some larger numbers, what is the largest number of steps you can find for one number?

Write a sentence or phrase that is a palindrome

Read ROBERT TREBOR by Marilyn Burns in the book: Good Times: Every Kid's Book of Things to Do   ISBN-10: 0553011626    or ISBN-13: 978-0553011623

Teachers check out this link N-Rich Maths  a maths website from Cambridge University England. Great ideas for all  ages