Kids Next Door Math Challenge

Author's note: As you can probably tell from the title, this fanfic is about math (and a little bit of science). In this story, the KND will encounter several math problems, so you'll probably need a bit of interest and/or knowledge in mathematics to get them. Try to solve the problems before the KND do. ^_~

"That's the plan for tomorrow's mission. Understood?" Numbuh 1 said, pointing to the chalkboard mission planner.

The other four members of the KND nodded if they were actually listening, and nodded off to sleep if they were tired from Numbuh 1's long lecture.

"Good. Now, let's get a good rest for our mission."

The Kids Next Door walked to their rooms to go to sleep. Little did they know that someone else was in the mission planning room, waiting for them to go to bed.

*~*~*~*

Numbuh 1 woke up and looked at the clock. It was just about time to get up. He pulled the mission siren to wake the others as he dressed. In a few minutes, everyone was in the kitchen eating breakfast. They finished and moved to the mission planning room.

"Okay. Let's go over the mission plan one more time. As you can see we start..." Numbuh 1 said, trailing off. He looked at the chalkboard. The mission plan was completely gone. Instead, "H_2(g) + 3K_(s) -> 3Br_2(s)" was written. "What happened to our mission plan?" Numbuh 1 asked, confused. "H₂ plus three K equals two times three--six Br? What is going on??"

"How does 2 + 3 = 6?" Numbuh 3 asked.

"Well," Numbuh 2 said, "this must be a chemistry problem. H, K, and Br are chemicals. And 'g' stands for gas while 's' stands for solid. But, still...that doesn't make sense. You're supposed to have the exact same atoms and number of atoms on each side."

They stared at the chalkboard. Finally, Numbuh 1 erased it and wrote the entire mission plan out again. He went over it and finished it with, "It's an easy mission but we can mess it up too. Well, let's get going."

*~*~*~*

They walked to the launching room and turned on the light. In the middle of the large room was a shiny, black aircraft, all ready for the mission. Painted on it were two large cylinders with their dimensions labeled. "What...?" Numbuh 1 said, trailing off in surprise. They walked forward to examine it.

"What's this?" Numbuh 3 asked, pointing to a piece of paper taped under the cylinders. The others walked forward and read:

A right circular cylinder has radius r and height 351. A second right circular cylinder has the same dimensions, but is actually made up of many small, congruent cylinders with radius r and height 1/3 each, stacked on top of each other. What is the sum of the radii of all the small cylinders? Write your answer as a word.

They looked back at the diagram. It had two cylinders--one full one and one that was cut up into several cylinders.

"Um...I don't get it," Numbuh 4 said, "Why is this even on our ship?"

"Good question. I don't know, but we're going to have to wash this off to go on our mission," Numbuh 1 said, "Let's get started. Numbuh 3 and 4, start scrubbing here. Numbuh 2 and 5, use the U.P.P.E.R.s (-Upward Propelling Padded Elevating Rocketboots-) and start cleaning from the top. I have to contact the KND Headquarters and tell them we won't be able to go on our mission until noon."

"Right." Numbuh 2 and 4 began to clean. Numbuh 3 and 5, however, stared at the piece of paper. "R...351...1/3...hmm..." Numbuh 3 stood there, thinking. Finally, she took out a pen and roughly copied the drawing of the two cylinders on the ship onto the back of the paper she was staring at.

"If each of the small cylinders has a height of 1/3, then that means there are 3 times 351 small cylinders. That's...1053," Numbuh 5 calculated. "Each one has a radius of r. That means--well, I guess we count each cylinder as having only one radius--so that means that the answer is 1053r."

"Yayyy!!! We solved a problem!" Numbuh 3 exclaimed happily.

Numbuh 2 glanced down at Numbuh 3 and 5. "Hey, a little help over here!"

"Hurry, write down the answer," Numbuh 5 said as she picked up a cloth rag.

Numbuh 3 wrote, "1,053r" on the paper with a pen. Then she stuffed it into her pocket and began cleaning the ship.

*~*~*~*

"Ready to leave?" Numbuh 1 asked, examining the ship. When he saw no trace of the bright red paint that had outlined and labeled the geometric shapes, he nodded and said, "Let's go."

One by one, they boarded the ship. "Numbuh 2, take us away."

"Right. But, Numbuh 1...what's this?" Numbuh 2 pointed to the screen. A message was flashing on it.

z = 3
Simplify:
k(13-4z) * (3y/z)n * [(43-5*8)/z * d(4-z)] * (z/3y)

Numbuh 3 quickly pulled out the sheet of paper and copied the problem down.

"Man, why have we been seeing math problems all day?" Numbuh 5 said. "We're never goin' to get to the mission."

Numbuh 1 looked to the side suspiciously. "Hm...Could somebody be trying to stop us from our mission? Numbuh 2, delete the message and get us moving. We're already enough behind as it is."

"Aye aye." Numbuh 2 typed at his keyboard.

"-Access denied-"

"What? The computer's not letting me in. Whoever wrote that message must've changed the initiation password. This is going to take a while." Numbuh 2 typed on the keyboard some more.

Numbuh 1 sighed. "Someone really is trying to delay our mission. I'll contact the KND headquarters and tell them we'll need more time before leaving."

*~*~*~*

"Have you got it yet?" Numbuh 1 asked as he returned with a snow cone in his hand.

"No, not yet. I've tried, 'please', 'math', 'math is kewl', 'I don't know', and 'access denied'. Any other ideas?"

"Well," Numbuh 4 said, "how about something like 'password' or 'knd'?"

Numbuh 2, having run out of ideas tried Numbuh 4's suggestions, and was surprised when the computer responded to "knd" with an "-Access approved-"

"Finally! Now we can leave," Numbuh 2 said.

"It's about time. Let's move," Numbuh 1 said. "We're severely behind schedule."

Numbuh 2 started the ship and began launching as the other members of the KND grumbled about wanting to get the mission over with.

"Leaving in 5...4...3...2...1..."

VROOSH! They sped off into the distance.

*~*~*~*

The five kids were drawing closer to their destination when something came on their radio. It was faint and broken with static, but strong enough to hear.

"Help...Kids Next...need help...crash...coordinates 26.5, 42..."

"There's a kid in need of help! Numbuh 2--take her down," ordered Numbuh 1. Numbuh 2 landed the ship on an island with a deep, thick jungle surrounded by white-gray sand. There was a ship nearby that looked liked it had been through a brutal crash. The KND stepped onto the island for a closer look. As they disembarked, they looked down and noticed something strange. Written into the light sand in giant letters was "BEER ^ 0.5".

"B-E-E-R to the .5 power?" Numbuh 2 read. Numbuh 3 took out her note sheet and wrote it down.

Numbuh 5 stepped closer to the crashed ship. "Definitely Kids Next Door technology," Numbuh 5 said after a moment's examination.

"But where is everybody?" Numbuh 3 asked, looking around.

"Right here," a voice said from the forest. They looked over and saw five figures walk out. They were wearing robes with stars and numbers on them. The middle one that had spoken was a boy wearing nerdy, spiral glasses.

"Who are you guys?" Numbuh 4 asked. "You 'ave a Kids Next Door ship, but I've never seen you before. Are you part of the Kids Next Door?"

"Why yes," the middle one said, apparently the leader. "People call me Numbuh -1."

"And I am Numbuh 25 over 11, also known as 2.27 repeating," the second one said. This boy had lab goggles on and very light brown hair.

"I'm Numbuh Pi or..." Numbuh Pi said, taking a deep breath, "3.1415926535897932384626433832795--"

"That's enough. Let Numbuh 4! (factorial) introduce himself," Numbuh -1 said.

"Right," Numbuh Pi said. She brushed her black hair away, revealing a pirate patch covering her left eye. The KND noticed that Numbuh Pi's pirate patch had the Greek letter, pi, sewn on it.

Numbuh 4 factorial stepped forward. "Like they said, I'm Numbuh 4! or 4 x 3 x 2 x 1. Pleased to meet you," said 4!. He was a short boy with blue-black hair and bangs covering most of his face.

"And last, but not least, because of course Numbuh -1 is technically the least, I'm Numbuh Root 5," said the last girl. She wore a witch hat with a wide brim, covering her eyes.

"And we are...the Math Squad of the Kids Next Door!!!" they said together, while posing.

"And now," said Numbuh -1, adjusting his nerdy glasses, "Time for your pop quiz." Numbuh -1 snapped his fingers. Numbuh 2.27 repeating and Numbuh Pi pulled out a chalkboard on wheels from nowhere and rolled it towards him. He picked up a piece of chalk and wrote on the board.

"Question 1: The square root of the product of -1, 25/11, pi, 4 factorial, and root 5 equals...?"

"WHAT?!" the KND said together. "Give us time to figure that out!!"

"Heh," Numbuh Root 5 snickered. "It's really easy. Your answer doesn't have to be exact."

The KND started scribbling on the chalkboard, trying to multiply the very ugly numbers together.

"Since we're so nice, we'll give you a calculator and thirty seconds," Numbuh 4 factorial said, handing them a small non-scientific calculator. "Starting...now."

Numbuh 4 punched in the numbers on the calculator: |1| |+/-| |x| |2| |.| |2| |7| |2| |7| |2| |7| |2| |7| |3| |x| |3| |.| |1| |4| |1| |5| |9| |x| |4| |x| |3| |x| |2| |x|--

"Hey, wait a second! We have to calculate the square root of five first!" Numbuh 4 realized.

"HURRY!!" the others shouted.

|5| |sqrt|... 2.230679775

Numbuh 4 started punching in numbers like mad, but he had only got to the |+/-| when Numbuh -1 called, "Time!"

The KND muttered and complained. "Well, that's wasn't fair," Numbuh 2 said. "That calculator didn't even have a pi button on it."

Numbuh -1 looked like he was holding in laughter.

"And thirty seconds is way too short," Numbuh 3 added.

Numbuh -1 burst out laughing. "I can't believe you guys! You should've known the answer in, like, five seconds."

The KND glared at the Math Squad. "Would you mind explaining to us how we could have gotten the answer that fast?" Numbuh 1 asked.

"Well, anybody could have known that -1 was the only negative number of the five numbers, and a negative number multiplied by any number of positive numbers will always be negative. However, we asked for the square root of the product. The square root of a negative answer is a non-real number. A suitable answer would've been 'non-real number'," Numbuh Pi explained intelligently.

"Man, that was so easy! How could you have gotten that wrong?" Numbuh 25/11 said, laughing.

"Well, you failed that question. Let's see if you got the other questions," Numbuh -1 said, erasing the chalkboard. He then drew two columns in the upper corner. He labeled them "right" and "wrong" and put one tally under "wrong". "Do you have the questions?"

Numbuh 3 took out the paper with the math problems on it. "These?" she asked, showing them the paper.

"Yes, those. It was smart of you to write them down, but did you answer any of them?" Numbuh Root 5 asked.

"Well, we answered one," Numbuh 5 replied, pointing at the answer she and Numbuh 3 had written down for the cylinder math problem.

Numbuh -1 acknowledged the answer with a nod, and then said, "You may not know this, but we've been sent by the KND headquaters to test you. So far it looks like you're failing. Maybe you can bring your grades up."

"Question 2: H_2(g) + 3K_(s) -> 3Br_2(s). Numbuh 3, explain this equation," Numbuh 2.27 repeating said, writing the equation on the board. "You have 30 seconds to discuss with your group before you answer."

The KND looked at each other and discussed the problem.

"If the H equals hydrogen, the K equals potassium, and the Br equals bromine..." Numbuh 2 said, "Then that doesn't work. This equation doesn't work!"

"Well, what am I supposed to say?" Numbuh 3 asked in a worried voice.

"I don't know. Let me think," Numbuh 1 said, as he furrowed his brow.

"Maybe it isn't a chemical equation," Numbuh 5 said. "But there doesn't seem to be any other explanation..."

"Time!" Numbuh 2.27 repeating said, "Do you have an answer?"

Numbuh 3 faced Numbuh 2.27 repeating. "It doesn't mean anything?" she guessed.

The Math Squad looked at each other. "I'm sorry. That is incorrect," Numbuh 25/11 said. Numbuh -1 put a tally under the "wrong" column.

"Let me explain. This is a simple chemistry problem. H_2(g) plus three K_(s) yields three Br_2(s) (a total of six Br)," Numbuh 2.27 repeating said.

The KND stared blankly.

"But...hydrogen and potassium don't make--" Numbuh 1 started.

"Tsk, tsk. I thought you would be able to think outside the box. H doesn't have to equal hydrogen does it? Nor does K have to equal potassium. Does that help?" Numbuh 2.27 repeating replied.

The KND stared blankly.

Numbuh 25/11 sighed. "The equation is saying H_2(g), H here meaning Hoagie and g meaning Gilligan, plus 3K_(s), K here meaning Kuki and s meaning Sanban, leads to 3Br_2(s), Br here meaning Bradley and s meaning Skunk. Numbuh 2 + Numbuh 3 -> Numbuh 6."

"What?!?" Numbuh 4 exclaimed.

"How do you know about Numbuh 6?" Numbuh 1 asked.

Numbuh 2.27 repeating sighed again. "We know everything. But obviously, you guys don't. You failed that question completely."

"My turn!" Numbuh Pi said, jumping up. "I see you've already answered the problem about the cylinder. I'm sorry to say that your answer was a good try, but far from being correct. Numbuh 1, would you care to correct the answer to get half-credit?"

"What, me?" Numbuh 1 said, as Numbuh Pi walked up to the chalkboard and wrote, "1,053r (current answer)" on it.

"Yes, find what's wrong with this answer." Numbuh Pi indicated the words she had just written.

Numbuh -1 handed Numbuh 1 the sheet with the question. Numbuh 1 quickly read the problem twice and then his eyes lit up. "Oh, you said to write is as a word, so the answer should be 'one thousand fifty-three r'."

Numbuh 4! crossed his arms and answered, "Sorry, but that's still incorrect. You can explain the solution to him, Numbuh Root 5."

"This problem is testing your reading comprehension as well as your math skills," Numbuh Root 5 began. "You may have noticed that the problem says to write it out as a word, not 'in word format' or something."

Numbuh Pi wrote out on the board, "1053r". "What single word does this look like?"

The KND stared blankly until Numbuh Pi gave up and sighed. "It looks like 'loser', like what the lot of you are!"

"Ohhhh... But that's not fair. That was a trick question. What kind of answer is that?" the KND muttered among themselves.

"Don't tell me you've never heard of leet speak," Numbuh Pi said, in an exasperated voice.

"Well, that's another question wrong," Numbuh -1 said, "but since you were close, I'll give you guys five points." He added another tally under "wrong" but put a 5 next to it.

"I'll ask the next question to Numbuh 5," Numbuh 4! said, stepping up to the chalkboard. "Question 4: Simplify this expression, k(13-4z) * (3y/z)n * [(43-5*8)/z * d(4-z)] * (z/3y), for z=3. You have 30 seconds."

Numbuh 5 stared at the problem. It was a complicated looking expression, but it was probably the most straightforward question of all of them. Numbuh 5 worked quickly starting from the parentheses. She had simplified it down to k(13-12) * y * n * 1 * d / y when time was called.

"No, no wait! The answer is 'knd'!" Numbuh 5 shouted an instant after Numbuh 4! called time.

"That's the correct answer. I'll give you half credit on that because you were a little late," Numbuh -1 said, putting another tally, making it four now, under the "wrong" column, but writing a 10 next to it.

"Okay. This is your last question, and it's for Numbuh 2. Let's see if you can get some sort of decent grade," Numbuh Root 5 said, stepping up. "This is a really easy problem, but I'll give you 30 seconds anyway. Question 5: What does B-E-E-R to the .5 power equal?"

"B-E-E-R?" Numbuh 2 muttered.

"Beer?" Numbuh 3 asked.

"I guess, but beer to the .5 power? What does that mean?" Numbuh 2 said, thinking hard.

"Well, .5 is the same as half...and when it comes to powers, it's the same thing as square rooting it..." Numbuh 1 said.

"So...the square root of beer?" Numbuh 4 said. "What is Numbuh Root 5 asking?"

"That's it! Root 5--root beer!" Numbuh 2 exclaimed.

"That is correct!" Numbuh Root 5 said. "You actually got one right within the time limit!"

"However," Numbuh -1 said, interrupting the KND's mini-celebration, "you only got 1.75 out of 5 right. That means your grade right now is 35%. That is very disappointing. I'll have to report this to the KND headquarters. You may have to retake the test. Until next time, then." Numbuh -1 pressed a button and a working ship rolled slowly out of the forest.

"KND Math Squad..." the Math Squad said together, while posing, "Exit!"

The five mathemagicians boarded the aircraft and left.

"Bye bye math people!" Numbuh 3 said, waving.

"And good riddance," muttered Numbuh 4.

*~*~*~*

The KND boarded their own ship to prepare to leave. As they did, the screen flashed on. There stood Numbuh 274.

"Numbuh 274!" said Numbuh 1, "We've been delayed again. We still haven't finished our mission." Numbuh 1 stopped there, but felt like adding, "thanks to a few interruptions."

"What mission?" Numbuh 274 asked. "Oh, right. Don't worry about that. There never was a mission."

"What do you mean, no mission?" Numbuh 4 asked.

"That 'mission' was just to lure you out here so you could take your annual math quiz. It's required that every operative take that quiz to see what they know. You'll be getting more information on that later. Meanwhile, go ahead and go back to the treehouse," Numbuh 274 said. The screen turned off again and Numbuh 2 flew them home.

*~*~*~*

A few days later, Numbuh 1 checked the KND mail. There he found a letter from the Math Squad--the letter Numbuh 274 had mentioned. He took it to the meeting room where everyone else was. Numbuh 1 opened it up and took out the letter:

Dear KND 1-5,

You failed the math test required for you to take and pass. The headquarters are quite upset, but have been nice enough to give you a second chance. We will let you do another problem for extra credit.

Extra Credit Problem: Using the operations x, /, +, -, and/or parentheses, rearrange the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 so that they equal 24. Each number must be used exactly once. Operations and parentheses can be used as often as needed.

There are multiple solutions. For each correct answer beyond the first, you will earn 1/2 points of extra credit (you need 25 points to pass the test). Good luck!

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!"

End transmission

Author's note (another one): Tako and I, some time ago, each drew our ideas of the Math Squad and so we'll share them with you. Tako's Math Squad looks different from mine because she was only working on my small amount of description. Since I made up the Math Squad, my drawings are technically more accurate, but you can look at both of ours. My drawings are done on lined paper and Tako's drawings are done really lightly in her math notebook, so I'm sorry about that.

Ika's Math Squad	Tako's Math Squad
Numbuh -1	Numbuh -1
Numbuh 25/11	Numbuh 25/11
Numbuh Pi	Numbuh Pi
Numbuh 4!	Numbuh 4!
Numbuh Root 5	Numbuh Root 5

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The ideas for fanfiction stories belong to the person who created them. Do not take these ideas without permission. All characters (except the Math Squad) and Codename: Kids Next Door belong to Mr. Warburton and Cartoon Network.