BOUNCY NUMBERS
PIPER MAKE EDUCATOR RESOURCES SERIES
STARTER EXPEDITION KIT
EXPLORE THE COLLATZ CONJECTURE WITH CODE
Advanced
1 hr
Ages 8+
You will need a Starter Kit to do this mission. Get yours here:
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Understand how to code mathematical operations to illustrate the assumptions of the Collatz Conjecture and apply it to an inputted number.
- Understand the basics of what the Collatz Conjecture means and theoretically why it results in bouncing numbers that "bounce" to one.
- Understand computational thinking concepts, including algorithms, sequence of instruction, and variables.
EDUCATOR RESOURCES
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You can share the mission directly to your Google Classroom after logging into your Google educator account in the top right corner of Piper Make.
Check out our easy assignment template that you can use to ask students to share their work by including pictures of their final circuits and code.
Check out our Python-focused assessment that you can copy and share directly to your Google Classroom.
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Useful vocabulary terms to use in classroom: input, output, microcontroller, GPIO pins, circuit
TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS
Numbers not reaching 1 over time?
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Ensure you have the code entered as shown in the CODE section below.
What is the Collatz Conjecture?
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The Collatz conjecture states that the orbit of every number under f eventually reaches 1. While no one has proved the conjecture, it has been verified for every number less than 268. So if you're looking for a counterexample, you can start around 300 quintillion.
FINAL HARDWARE
This mission does not require a build. All you need is your Pico plugged into your computer!
FINAL CODE
This is the final code that is created. Download the embedded PNG and use the CREATIVE mode to import it to a new workspace: