Close to 1000

Directions: Using the digits 1 to 9 exactly one time each, place a digit in each box to make the sum as close to 1000 as possible.

Hint

How do you know you can’t get any closer to 1000? What should be true about the hundreds places of your three numbers? How do the tens places affect your answer?

Answer

Lots of answers will get you 999. One would be 247 + 563 + 189.
Is exactly 1000 even possible? Here’s a Geogebra tool you can use to check your answer.

Source: John Ulbright and Robert Kaplinsky

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Make The Time

Directions: Using the digits 0 to 9 at most one time each, place a digit …

194 comments

  1. One would be 189+247+563

  2. Hi, I’m a 1st time visitor. We are just really getting started recording various levels of DOK questions within our common lessons. I found your site via a Goggle search. However, I have a question. How can I confirm if a question is a DOK 2 or 3? They do not seem to be identified. Are the levels noted somewhere?
    Thanks,
    Laura

  3. 600+300+100=1000

  4. John Birnstengel

    Devn, that isn’t true. You cannot use 0s.

  5. 152+368+479=999

  6. Cristopher Funk

    583+167+249=999

  7. To pique student interest and involvement, I put a leaderboard on the classroom whiteboard. This showed first, second, third and fourth places of who in the class could get closest to 1000. It was great to see so many students taking up the challenge to get first place.

  8. By the way, where do I find the DOK that goes with this resource? I’m having trouble finding it on the website.

  9. I was wondering if we could extend the problem by adding closest to 1,000 meaning above or below it. It doesn’t specify, but wondered if that would be another option to use?

  10. 234+324+401=959

  11. 152 + 528 + 329 = 999

  12. 250 + 250 + 500 would get 1,000.

  13. 169+452+378=999
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    563+287+149=999
    563+289+147=999
    564+137+298=999
    564+138+297=999
    564+197+238=999
    564+198+237=999
    564+237+198=999
    564+238+197=999
    564+297+138=999
    564+298+137=999
    567+134+298=999
    567+138+294=999
    567+143+289=999
    567+149+283=999
    567+183+249=999
    567+189+243=999
    567+194+238=999
    567+198+234=999
    567+234+198=999
    567+238+194=999
    567+243+189=999
    567+249+183=999
    567+283+149=999
    567+289+143=999
    567+294+138=999
    567+298+134=999
    568+134+297=999
    568+137+294=999
    568+194+237=999
    568+197+234=999
    568+234+197=999
    568+237+194=999
    568+294+137=999
    568+297+134=999
    569+143+287=999
    569+147+283=999
    569+183+247=999
    569+187+243=999
    569+243+187=999
    569+247+183=999
    569+283+147=999
    569+287+143=999
    574+136+289=999
    574+139+286=999
    574+186+239=999
    574+189+236=999
    574+236+189=999
    574+239+186=999
    574+286+139=999
    574+289+136=999
    576+134+289=999
    576+139+284=999
    576+184+239=999
    576+189+234=999
    576+234+189=999
    576+239+184=999
    576+284+139=999
    576+289+134=999
    579+134+286=999
    579+136+284=999
    579+184+236=999
    579+186+234=999
    579+234+186=999
    579+236+184=999
    579+284+136=999
    579+286+134=999
    583+147+269=999
    583+149+267=999
    583+167+249=999
    583+169+247=999
    583+247+169=999
    583+249+167=999
    583+267+149=999
    583+269+147=999
    584+136+279=999
    584+139+276=999
    584+176+239=999
    584+179+236=999
    584+236+179=999
    584+239+176=999
    584+276+139=999
    584+279+136=999
    586+134+279=999
    586+139+274=999
    586+174+239=999
    586+179+234=999
    586+234+179=999
    586+239+174=999
    586+274+139=999
    586+279+134=999
    587+143+269=999
    587+149+263=999
    587+163+249=999
    587+169+243=999
    587+243+169=999
    587+249+163=999
    587+263+149=999
    587+269+143=999
    589+134+276=999
    589+136+274=999
    589+143+267=999
    589+147+263=999
    589+163+247=999
    589+167+243=999
    589+174+236=999
    589+176+234=999
    589+234+176=999
    589+236+174=999
    589+243+167=999
    589+247+163=999
    589+263+147=999
    589+267+143=999
    589+274+136=999
    589+276+134=999
    594+137+268=999
    594+138+267=999
    594+167+238=999
    594+168+237=999
    594+237+168=999
    594+238+167=999
    594+267+138=999
    594+268+137=999
    597+134+268=999
    597+138+264=999
    597+164+238=999
    597+168+234=999
    597+234+168=999
    597+238+164=999
    597+264+138=999
    597+268+134=999
    598+134+267=999
    598+137+264=999
    598+164+237=999
    598+167+234=999
    598+234+167=999
    598+237+164=999
    598+264+137=999
    598+267+134=999

  14. should be 247+563+180

  15. 589 + 276 +134 = 999

  16. I gave this to my 7th grade math team after seeing in it the Open Middle Math book. I made it a three step investigation. Fist was find the largest sum, then the smallest then get as close to 999. The loved it, especially the third challenge. It lead us into some counting theory discussion regarding permutations. One kid even observed that the ones column adds to 19, the tens adds to 18 and the hundreds adds to 8. They searched for different solutions that each had 216 permutations. And they are at 5 as of now.

    I love how something that seems so simple can become so engaging and complex.

  17. One would be 365 + 426 + 198

  18. Does anyone have a way to prove that getting exactly 1000 is impossible using only elementary math?
    Thanks.

  19. UNO reverse means not reverse since it’s Reverse

  20. stop!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  21. bungee???????!!!!!!!!!?????????

  22. Yeah bungee man!

  23. stop it dumbheds!!!!!

  24. guys the ice cream truck is leaving in 10 secs!!!

    10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

  25. hi i’m komma’s sis!

  26. i know its you, maggie!

  27. poker face by Lady gaga

  28. huhuhuuhuhuh??????????????????

  29. stoopid

  30. you should be ashamed of yourself!

  31. did i miss anything?

  32. yes ??? you missed the part when a flying pig came by

  33. nope nope nope poop poop poop

  34. ivr43uh

  35. You peed on your hand yesterday. HEHEHEHEHE

  36. I bet your mama so fat that even Dora can’t explore her

  37. yo mama so dumb she said a beanstalk is a secret agent

  38. ok uh… yo mama so ugly that she was mistaken for a gorilla

  39. mora the expoola

  40. yo mama so big things orbit her

  41. hey people depot

    BIRDS CAN FLY!

  42. peoplpeoplpeoplpeoplpeople

  43. ask miss vashee if we can do prodigy

  44. you bannana doughnut lollypop that dispenses gronila bars!

  45. tutututututututututututututututututututututututututut

  46. thy has bean kelped quivered for mallinia

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