Recently we received a telephone call from the Infant School just around the corner from Quiz Master Shop Towers - in fact it is very close to the Jolly Quiz Master Arms. They had a tricky problem that they wondered if we could solve for them.
The children were going to do some potato prints, and a keen Teaching Assistant had prepared the potatoes for the children. Unfortunately she had not read the lesson plan and there were two problems.
Firstly, there were twice as many children as potatoes.
This was easily solved, we thought, just cut each potato in half.
Well yes, the potatoes would need to be cut in half; however, the Teaching Assistant had cut the potatoes into cubes, and the children were going to print hexagons.
The challenge was how to cut each cube in half, with one cut, to leave both halves with a hexagonal face.
Were we able to help, and if so, how?
As you might guess from our posting this puzzle, we were able to help.
Make a cut that passes through the midpoints of six of the edges and you will have your hexagons.