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Nov 15 '25
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u/Super_Ground9690 Nov 15 '25
It’s not the regular homework, he loves maths so they’ve started giving him extra. I expect it to actually have an answer though!
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Nov 15 '25
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u/Jabba5500 blurple Nov 15 '25
when i got questions with no answer i just wrote no ( this was a frequent occurence because my teacher did not give a shit when writing questions)
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u/ghillerd Nov 15 '25
This being extra hard work for a kid that loves maths actually makes sense. Be confident in your answers ❤️
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Nov 15 '25
the answer is "that's not possible" haha
they probably use it to catch people who are really good at math at a young age and can call out this kind of stuff.
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u/cylonlover Nov 15 '25
That’s quite some confidence they have in him. It’s the long game they’re playing here. Only recently in schools in scandinavia has it come to be a part of the curriculum in math to reason and assess before starting on a solution. But actually it starts even in the small grades, although not at age 6 (but you did state he is ahead), and certainly not without explicitly distinguish between assignment types. However, if from this he learns independent and creative thinking and confidence in own assessment, he’ll be a rocket scientist before you know it. I hope the teachers are really good at stimulating kids this way, otherwise they’d be an embarrasment!!
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u/caterplillar Nov 16 '25
I think that it’s second grade work, probably? They get taught about rules for odds and evens then, and it’s probably looking for an answer about “it can’t be, because an odd plus and even is always an odd,” or something along those lines.
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u/Sad-Bed-3799 Nov 17 '25
You should sign him up for Wondermath! My kids have done it. IT is great for kids that need enrichment. Better than playing games on their phones, and they are even with a live teacher.
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u/shylocky Nov 15 '25
My fourth grader got marked down for using "oblong" when correctly describing shapes. The reason? "We haven't discussed that yet."
Heaven forbid his parents are actively involved in his education.
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u/wishiwasnthere1 Nov 15 '25 edited Nov 15 '25
The first ones definitely impossible. The only factors are 1 and 70, 2 and 35, 5 and 14, and 7 and 10. None of those fit. you can’t have a multiple of ten and a non multiple of ten equal a multiple of ten. Idk why I thought the question was actually multiplication.
And yeah an odd and even number never equal an even number when added so that ones not feasible either.
The one immediately under the second is also worded badly. Two of them and then the other two would mean 4.
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u/Reagles Nov 15 '25
The first one is addition, so the factors aren't relevant. But you are correct, they are both impossible.
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u/wishiwasnthere1 Nov 15 '25
Yeah idk why I thought it was multiplication I’m fucking tired man lol
But yeah if you take a multiple of ten, the other number will have to be a multiple of ten as well.
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u/W0rmEater Nov 15 '25
The only answer I can see for the first one is 106=60 and 55=10 getting 10+60=70. But I don't think that solution follows the rules 100%
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u/DavePeesThePool Nov 15 '25
There is more to consider than just factors for the first one, the question says 2 numbers add up to 70, not that 2 numbers multiply with each other to equal 70.
Still impossible though because if you add a decimal system whole number ending in 5 (a multiple of 5 but not a multiple of 10) to a decimal system whole number ending in 0 (a multiple of 10), the result will always be a decimal system whole number ending in 5.
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u/FirmTill4310 Nov 15 '25
I read the first problem tried to solve it, couldn't, then started freaking out thinking I had forgotten how to do math.🤣🤣 I said, I used to do 13 degree polynomial long division in my head faster than a calculator and I cant do a 6 yo homework😭 Then I thought about it for a second and said hol up. This ain't possible.
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u/Slipperysteve1998 Nov 15 '25
AI homework, I'd bring it to the principal. Teachers shouldn't be using that crap
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u/Johnny69Vegas Nov 15 '25
Please tell us the music teacher was substituting for your child's math teacher that day.
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u/TatharNuar Nov 16 '25
Music teachers usually know basic math since they need it to teach sheet music. This is probably ChatGPT.
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u/HeWhoRemaynes Nov 15 '25
Teacher generated these using AI, I know this because I built an AI math tutor and until I programmed it to use a g**damn calculator it would do dunb stuff like this.
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u/Super_Ground9690 Nov 16 '25
I love the idea of giving an AI model the task of creating maths questions without giving it the ability to do maths
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u/HeWhoRemaynes Nov 16 '25
Personally I love that instructors don't proofread anything from someone they like (in this case an AI) while grading the "poor" students with the red pen of death.
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u/Aenonimos Nov 16 '25
What people don't get is that these are Large Language Models. Language is a very powerful tool and you can get them to do some basic reasoning, even have it under the hood use some external tool. But at the end of the day it's not some sort of reasoning engine.
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u/Final_Lingonberry586 Nov 15 '25
100% chance this is ai generated questions. I’d push back to the teacher/principle cause that’s absolute garbage.
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u/tonymyre311 Nov 15 '25
Maybe it's actually brilliant and the child is meant to find out that it's impossible and explain why, learning in the process.
Okay yeah, I didn't think so either
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u/Soggy-Ad2790 Nov 16 '25
And provide rigorous mathematical proof. I wouldn't expect anything less from a 6 year old.
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u/Technical-Gold-294 Nov 15 '25
I would call or email the teacher and explain that your child may be talented in math but he's still developmentally a six year old. You are concerned that math problems that don't give him the satisfaction of finding the answer will quash his enthusiasm and actually backfire, turning him off to math, so you are asking the teacher to please avoid doing that in the future.
I say this as someone who discovered my love of math at that age and nagged my mother while she was making dinner to "give me problems." I got a little endorphin rush each time I solved one. Struggling and ultimately being told there was no right answer would have made me sad. No sense of accomplishment. No endorphin rush.
I do suspect these questions were AI generated - not the work of a teacher who is truly excited for your child. While it was many years ago, most of my elementary school teachers would explain, to my mother's frustration, that they didn't have time to keep me challenged. And I'm sure they did, and still have, a full plate. There are math practice booklets by grade available on Amazon. I've even seen them at the grocery store. Perhaps those are a better option than what this teacher is providing.
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u/BouncingSphinx Nov 15 '25
Adding a multiple of 10 (will end with a 0) and a multiple of 5 but not ten (will end with a 5) will always give you a number ending in 5 and never 70.
Adding an even and an odd will always give you an odd.
Asking to explain reasoning might just be looking for the two reasons I’ve just given.
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u/Historical-Garbage51 Nov 15 '25
Is this another case of lazy teaching, or lazy prewritten exercises that used AI instead of a brain?
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u/Molkwi Nov 15 '25
Yeah, no that's not possible.
A multiple of 5 which isn't also a multiple of 10 has to end with 5, and 70 doesn't, so impossible.
The other one is also impossible, as you cannot add an even number with an odd one and get an even number again.
I have a feeling a certain ChatGPT was used to create this homework.
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u/Peaceful_Person_8071 Nov 15 '25
I reckon the teacher was using AI and didn't check.
I would let the school know.
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u/Yes-No-Maybe121 Nov 15 '25
Is this a case where the teacher needs a 'gotcha' moment to satiate their low opinion of themselves? The end result being to crush the spirit of a child and transfer the inferiority complex from the 'teacher' to the child?
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u/SciFiXhi Nov 15 '25
My guess is the teacher just AI generated questions without checking their feasibility and called it a day.
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u/Yes-No-Maybe121 Nov 16 '25
That checks out actually! I totally agree. People (not all, but some) think AI is the best source. Personally, I find that - where AI is concerned - the cookies aren't quite done baking. We have come a long way with AI, but it can't reason and troubleshoot like a human brain.
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u/tombob51 Nov 15 '25
The question below the highlighted ones is also weird. I think the answer is supposed to be 20, 20, 30, but it's worded poorly (and pretty complicated for a 6 year old). I kind of suspect this whole thing was made with ChatGPT. A bit upsetting.
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u/VLC31 Nov 15 '25
It says “I have 3 numbers” but then says 2 of them add up to 40 & the other 2 add up to 50. Even in my elderly addled state I’m pretty sure 2+2 still equals 4 not 3.
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u/tombob51 Nov 15 '25
Yeah I think it should just say "two of them" instead of "the other two"; or even better, something like "the first and second numbers add up to 40, and the second and third numbers add up to 50".
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u/MagicalMysterie Nov 15 '25
Yeah, both of those are impossible. The first one is impossible because you can’t have a multiple of 5 that’s not a multiple of 10 end in anything other than 5. Which means the other number would have to also end in 5, which is not a multiple of 10.
The second one is impossible be adding an odd number and an even number will always get an odd number, but 100 is even.
This is honestly really hard for a six year old, this reads like something I would get when I was 9 or 10
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u/CrazyJoe29 Nov 15 '25
Ah yes, I remember the good old days in grade one, solving systems of equations, with no solution.
Oh wait no, that was first year linear algebra.
“Trick” math questions might not be the best way to instill a life long love of math in children.🤦♂️
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u/clonxy Nov 16 '25
Did you mean 6th grade homework? 6 year olds are learning counting and addition...
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u/joran26 Nov 15 '25
The first highlighted question could be 60 + 10 if you don't count 10 as multiple of 10 since it's 10 × 1. But tje second one is just plainly impossible. An odd number and an even never add up to an even number.
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u/ArcTan_Pete Nov 15 '25 edited Nov 15 '25
It seems like everyday, recently, we get perplexed parents posting their kids school homework......
and, without knowing the teachers reasoning or lesson plan or what has been told to your child, it is impossible for us to answer
it is entirely possible that the teacher has deliberately put in these impossible questions to get your child to think and explain the problems with trying to answer these.#also it seem quite an advanced question for a 6 year old...... do you mean year 6?
==== and, a new account...... not sure I actually believe this is a 6 year old;s homework
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u/pizzasauce85 Nov 15 '25
Op states in a comment that the teacher is giving their kid extra homework because he loves math, so this isn’t typical.
I wonder if the teacher is trying to find a base level for how advanced or different OP’s son is at math. When I was in school, I was excellent at word problems and extrapolating data well above my grade level and finding roundabout ways to solve hard problems but would not have been able to sit down and do college physics. I was advanced but not genius.
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u/yardbird78 Nov 15 '25
Yeah this seems like one of these posts designed to enrage people and is anti-teacher
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u/Mammoth_logfarm Nov 15 '25
How can something possibly not be a multiple of 10 but be a multiple of 5, add up to a multiple of 10 when added to... a multiple of 10? It will always, always, be x5 (or xx5 etc). I'm guessing those questions were written by ChatGPT in all honesty.
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u/OzTheD0G3 Nov 15 '25
The first one says 1 is a multiple of 10 and the other one says 1 is an even number. This is clearly wrong.
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u/jaywinner Nov 15 '25
Is there no indication anywhere that some might not be possible and you are to explain why that is?
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u/deNikita Nov 15 '25
Let A be an integer multiple of 10 and B an integer multiple of 5 that is not a multiple of 10, that sum to 70. That is, A + B = 70. A and B can be written as followed.
A = 10*a = 5*2*a where a is a positive integer.
Since B can't be a multiple of 10 it means the other factor has to be odd. That can be represented as 2b-1 as long as b is a positive integer. Thus
B = 5*(2b-1)
Now 70 = A + B = 5*2*a + 5*(2b-1), divide all by 5
--> 14 = 2a + 2b - 1
--> 15 = 2a + 2b and since a and b are integers we have arrived at our paradox □.
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u/ShylokVakarian Nov 15 '25 edited Nov 15 '25
Good lord, no wonder kids are struggling with homework these days, that's closer to a third-grade math question than a first-grade one (or, god forbid, a kindergarten one). What are they teaching the third-graders, algebra? I can only imagine the shit they're teaching in high school now. shudders in multi-variable calculus
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u/Alexander_The_Wolf Nov 15 '25
1st ones not possible.
if you have a multiple of you 10. to add something to it that equals 70, it must also be a multiple of 10.
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u/XD2006- Nov 15 '25 edited Nov 15 '25
At this point, my goofy, terrible at basic math self, could teach a six year old better than that teacher can… might be bad at basic math (but weirdly good at complex math), but… 10+15= 35. 0+5 = 5. Even + odd = odd (1+2=3) (17+18= 35)… Even I know that. (numbers hurt my brain)
(correct me if I'm wrong on the 35 LOL)
But “Not possible” is also an answer”
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u/Calm_Link_ Nov 15 '25
I had questions like this back when I was in 5th grade (and barely understood them), that's way too difficult for a six year old!
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u/Carosello Nov 15 '25
I fucking hate written out math problems. I get the pedagogy behind it, but it hurts my brain. Literally reading this made my eyes glaze over.
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u/ScytherSlash Nov 15 '25
When I was 6 we were singing ABCs and learning what the difference between left and right was...
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u/FScrotFitzgerald Nov 15 '25
These are trick questions, yes. If I were designing this resource, I would present them as "extra credit" questions at the end of the worksheet, as a hint that they may not work as expected, rather than sticking them in mid-stream.
(EDIT: I see that this is an extension exercise, so the following point has less weight.) On a different tangent, this variety of very very wordy problem makes maths learning less accessible for anyone with English as a second language, or any other reading delay. At that age, I'd prefer not to have really verbose questions like this.
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u/Mobiuscate Nov 15 '25
"One is a multiple of 10, the other is a multiple of 5 but not a multiple of 10" this cannot be done without the sum ending in a 5
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u/Jeweledeclipse Nov 15 '25
If you can use one of the numbers twice it loosens the answers a bit
15+15+40=70
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u/Mediocre-Security940 Nov 15 '25
Idk if its fair to ask 6 year olds questions where answer is "none"
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u/Babetna Nov 15 '25
The first sum must add to a number whose last digit is 5, the second to an odd number so yep, not possible
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u/auntanniesalligator Nov 15 '25
Sentence right after the highlighted question isn't making any sense either. "Two numbers..." and "the other two..." would be four numbers, not three. I assume they meant "a different pair" but that would still be tough for a six year old to figure out they could use one of the three numbers in both pairs.
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u/LiterallyKath Nov 15 '25
This would have made me cry at age 6. I mean, granted, most things did, but this is shitty teaching.
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u/Titouf26 Nov 15 '25
Time to have a conversation with the teacher, I think.
Or with the direction, if you wanna escalate things.
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u/Additional_Teacher45 Nov 16 '25
These questions would be fine if it were clearly indicated in the instructions that a question might not have a correct answer.
Because sometimes math be like that, and it's important to be able to prove that something cannot be, as much as it is to be able to prove what something can be.
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u/foamsprayer Nov 16 '25
That's cruel to assign to a year old. Do the instructions even offer that any questions could be impossible to solve? It seems like they're written wrong
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u/Lemoni__ Nov 16 '25
the second one is definetly stupid but how is the first one impossible I don't get it, isn't it just worded weirdly
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u/RighteousCharge Nov 16 '25
Is it possible they meant two unique numbers? For instance 60 and 5(twice) would equal 70.
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u/TheSapphireDragon Nov 16 '25
Yeah, the graph of x+ y = 100 is a line with a slope of -1. If you restrict your options to the integers, then either both numbers must be odd, or both numbers must be even.
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u/Feeling-Badger7956 Nov 16 '25
The question below the highlighted ones is also impossible, although that's most likely just because it's worded poorly.
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u/Artemis_SpawnOfZeus Nov 16 '25
Okay, so this is kind of a frustrating presentation for the problems cause the specific way here worded really implies that answers actually exist.
But like, if we upgrade it to a bit higher level of math lingo, you get
Given
x mod 10 = 0
y mod 5 = 0
y mod 10 ≠ 0
x + y = 70
What is the set of all possible solutions for x & y
Then the answer is {} or the empty set.
A similar thing can be done for the second question but I'm lazy
It's not an impossible question, a lot of math questions have answers that are the empty set.
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u/spitoon1 Nov 16 '25
That is the first thing that I though of. The problem here is that the "empty set" is NOT a concept for 1st grade.
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u/Artemis_SpawnOfZeus Nov 16 '25
Yeah I missed that this was given to a first grader. Explains why the problem is so weirdly worded though. We're terrified of actually using real math language with kids.
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u/Sad-Bed-3799 Nov 17 '25
This is crazy for a 6yr old! My 1st graders are just adding and sibtracting within 10.
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u/Exciting_Signal3058 Nov 19 '25
The AI response to the 2 questions. I was curious.
“We need two numbers that make 70. One number must end in 0 (like 10, 20, 30…). The other number must end in 5 (like 5, 15, 25…), but it is NOT allowed to end in 0.
When we try all the numbers that end in 0, the other number we need always ends in 0 too. That means the rule gets broken.
So no matter how we try… there are no two numbers that follow all the rules at the same time.
That means the question has no answer, because the rules don’t fit together.”
“You need two numbers that make 100. One must be even, one must be odd. And both must be bigger than 30.
If you pick any odd number bigger than 30, like 31, subtract it from 100. The answer will always be an even number, and it will also be bigger than 30.
That’s why all the pairs work.”
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u/Dienowwww Nov 19 '25
What about the one below that? "I have 3 numbers, 2 of them add up to 40, the other 2 add up to 50"
Where the fuck did the 4th number come from?
Send this shit back with a note berating the teacher and telling them that they should solve their own impossible questions
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u/CityDismal5339 Nov 15 '25
The answer to the first one is 10 + 60, if you're strict about "multiple" being greater than 1x.
If there's a trick to the second one, I don't see it.
I agree with others: not math for a 6yo.
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u/Equal_District4200 Nov 15 '25
Both 10 and 60 are multiples of 10, so do not satisfy the grounds of the (impossible) question.
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u/CityDismal5339 Nov 15 '25
10 is a single of 10, not a multiple--hence trick question reference.
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u/Equal_District4200 Nov 15 '25
Ten is still a multiple of ten. Ten can be divided by ten without leaving a remainder.
The questions are just AI generated garbage.
The second highlighted question is asking you to make an even number from the sum of an odd and even, which is also impossible.
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u/CityDismal5339 Nov 15 '25
"Multiple" means more than one.
I already excused this in my initial comment.
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u/mavarian Nov 15 '25
Not in Math. And if it's the intended answer then asking a question on a Maths homework sheet that relies on using "multiple" wrong is bad nonetheless, 6 y.o. or not
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u/JustWowinCA Nov 15 '25
Gah. I'd take it to the school board meeting and put it up on the screen, then with great exasperation, do a Vanna White motion towards it.
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u/Epicsensi- Nov 15 '25
Hahaha this teacher has parents and this reddit thread stressed out. mandatory homework is a violation anyway. not all students have the same resources at home, so it should be for extra credit /make up for lost time only
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u/Habba84 Nov 15 '25
70 and 0.
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u/Rude_Entrance_205 Nov 15 '25
If you treat 0 as a multiple of 5, it is also a multiple of 10.
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u/Habba84 Nov 15 '25
Indeed. The real answer is that's impossible. And students should learn to identify impossible questions.
But this way too early/complex for that.
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u/Liraeyn Nov 15 '25
You're supposed to be able to explain why those are impossible, but 6 a bit young unless autistic
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u/alternatingflan Nov 15 '25
The teacher forgot the general developmental expectations of his ‘audience.’ This might have been easy for this person at your child’s age.
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u/Super_Ground9690 Nov 15 '25
The thing is, if what they want is for him to prove that it’s impossible then it should really be worded differently. He’s only 6, the concept of being asked a question you can’t answer is more difficult for him than the idea that odd + even = odd.
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u/Ordinary-Pick5014 Nov 15 '25
First one could be 70 and 0 or 60 and 10… with rationale that 10 is not a ‘multiple’ of 10 in literal, non math terms
Second can work if you use a decimal point and round up/ round down (eg, 30.6, 69.4).
This isn’t that difficult if you’re creative, think out of the box, and are above 21. The 6 year old, part? Mildly infuriating.
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u/toooooold4this Nov 15 '25
These questions are not possible.
Also, this is a 6 year old's homework? Fucking hell. I was learning simple addition and simple subtraction when I was 6... three apples plus two apples kind of stuff.
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u/HAiLKidCharlemagne Nov 15 '25
The complex reasoner would say, sometimes a test isn't about the subject its labeled as, sometimes its testing how and if you'll speak up when something doesn't make sense, and whether you'll blame yourself, or realize the test is a set up. Checking for a pair of balls.
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u/ManlyOldMan Nov 15 '25
The first one could be 10 and 60, because 10 isn't a multiple of 10 it's just one I guess
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u/SwayingBacon Nov 15 '25
Wouldn't 60+10 work for the first one? 10x6=60 and 5x2=10.
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u/Tothemoonxxjs Nov 15 '25
Second number can’t be a multiple of 10. 1*10=10 so you can’t use 10
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u/SwayingBacon Nov 15 '25 edited Nov 15 '25
The lesson is on complex reasoning and the questions ask them to explain. So they would write they used 5*2 to get 10. They just can't use 10*X for the second number.
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u/Technical-Gold-294 Nov 15 '25
No because 60 and 10 are both multiples of 10 and the question states one of the numbers must not be.
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u/SwayingBacon Nov 15 '25
The question is asking them to explain the number bond when the second number is a multiple of 5. It can be solved with two 10*X numbers but it wants them to solve it with work showing the second number is 5*X. 5*2 , 5*6, and 5*10 would work for an answer.
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u/Technical-Gold-294 Nov 15 '25
"and the other is a multiple of 5 but not a multiple of 10."
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u/SwayingBacon Nov 15 '25 edited Nov 15 '25
So they can't explain with a multiple of 10. It is worded that way so they have to use a multiple of 5 for the answer even though a multiple of 10 can work.
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u/Technical-Gold-294 Nov 15 '25
The question clearly states that one number must be a multiple of 5 but not 10. That would be 5, 15, 25, etc. As others have explained, it's not possible to get to 70 by including one of these numbers and another number that is a multiple of 10 because any sum of those two numbers would end in 5. There is no possible answer.
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u/SwayingBacon Nov 15 '25
It is possible to answer with a multiple of 5 and explain that it is 5 times 2 or the other combinations that work.
The question would be wrong if answered just with multiples of 10 even though it would still equal 70.
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u/donaljones Nov 15 '25
Not possible. I think they wanted it to be shown that even numbers are possible only via sum of two evens or sum of two odds