Jo Short and Jo Tall Puzzle with Sample Solutions

Jo Short and Jo Tall

Solve the following problem and try to remember your thought processes as you think of different ideas to try as a solution.

The figure below is called Jo Short.
Jo Short is four jumbo paper clips tall.
Another figure - Jo Tall was measured using the same procedure and measured as six jumbo paper clips tall.

Without using jumbo paper clips or measuring Jo Tall directly, use small paper clips to measure Jo Short (7 & 3/16 inches tall) and tell me how tall Jo Tall is in small paper clips.

Jo Short:

How tall is Jo Tall in small paper clips?

 


All students measured Jo Short and found Jo Short was six samll paper clips.

Student sample answers

Liam

Because 6 and 4 jumbos is 10

Mason

I added 6 + 4 - 2 and it just came out.

Olivia

I got 6 for the small man and 4 + 6 = 10 + 6 = 16

Chris

I figured that Jo Tall is twice as tall as Jo Short, so I took half of Jo Short's height in clips and added it on to his height in clips and came up with my answer. 9 small paper clips.

Fiona

I figured that a small paper clip was approximately one and one-half jumbo paper clips so 2 more small paper clip would probably be about 3 more clips, or 7 small clips tall.

Fran

I took the relationship of large paper clips to small paper clips on Jo Short and the unknown jumbo clips to small paper clip of Jo Tall and found the unkown algebraically.

Dee

Jo Tall is 1.5 times the height of Jo Short as measured with a small paper clip . So if the measurement procedures were the same it would be 1.5 times Jo Short's height with any measurement unit. Assuming the measurement procedures were identical, Jo Tall's height in small paper clips would be 1.5 * 6 = 9 small paper clips.

Trav

The ratio was 2:3 so using algebra gives you 2/3 = 6/x = 9

Joe

If he is two small paper clips taller I guess he is two clips taller or 8 clips.

Sara

He is two times as high as Jo Short or 8 clips.

Barbie

I figured the small paper clips were about the same size as the large paper clips so 8 small clips.

Chou

Four small paper clip or six small paper clips (or two pieces more than small paper clip), so Jo Tall should be two clips more than jumbo paper clip .

Daniella

Four small paper clip reach the top of Jo Short's head. Jo Tall is six small paper clip tall. Six clips Jo Short. Jo Tall is eight clips tall. Clips are about one inch long and small paper clip are probably the same.

 

 

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