This week’s problem is all about arranging objects on a table in such a way that each object touches all the other objects.
Can you position 4 tennis balls in such a way that each ball touches all the others?
Can you position 5 pennies in such a way that each penny touches all the others?
Can you position 6 straws (the straight ones, without a bendy bit) in such a way that each straw touches all the others?
In each case the objects can’t be squashed, bent, twisted or otherwise distorted from their original shape. We also assume that there is enough friction to make things balance!
Super hard bonus
It is actually possible to position 7 straws in such a way that each straw touches all the others. For a real challenge, can you find this solution?
Hint: this one really does require some careful balancing.