The Best Way to Throw an Angry Bird

Robots are everywhere. A robot is any machine that does what it's told by following instructions from a computer. Some robots, though, have fun: Andrew here at Bedtime Math built this Angry Bird-chucking robot out of Lego Mindstorms. As we see in this video, it drives forward until its light sensor sees the black firing line, which then tells the robot's arm motors to turn, flinging the stuffed animal into the air. The bird isn't loving it, but the robot's having a great time.

Wee Ones: This Angry Bird is red. Try to spot 4 red things in your room.

Little Kids: If the robot takes 7 seconds to find the black line and then 1 more second to fling the Angry Bird, how long does the whole mission take?
Bonus: If you speed up the robot to do it all 1 second faster, now how long does it take?

Big Kids: If the Angry Bird robot zigzags, and throws a bird on the 5th turn, then the 11th, then the 18th...on what turn does it throw next to keep the pattern?
Bonus: If the robot wants to throw that Angry Bird 10,000 times and it's done all but the last throw, how many throws has it already done?

Answers:

Wee Ones: Objects might include shirts, socks, crayons, or your own stuffed animals!

Little Kids: 8 seconds. 
Bonus: 7 seconds.

Big Kids: On the 26th turn, 8 turns later -- since we started with 5, then added 6, then 7. 
Bonus: 9,999 throws.

Recent Posts

Pick a Math Skill

Pick a Topic

50 States

Animals

Daily Routine

Entertainment

Food

History

Science and Nature

Sports

Vehicles and Transportation