The 36 Toothpicks Puzzle
This puzzle comes from a rich historical tradition that dates back to the 19th century when matches were first manufactured. Invented in 1827 by the British chemist John Walker, matches soon replaced the tinder boxes and flints that people had formerly used to light fires. As matches grew in popularity and became ubiquitous later in the century, they spawned a new form of entertainment—matchstick puzzles—which became quite popular when several match companies printed these puzzles on their boxes.
This puzzle has six challenges, each of which starts with 36 toothpicks arranged to form 13 small squares. Students then either move or remove a given number of toothpicks to form the numbers of geometric shapes stated.
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