Before seeing how to apply these concepts, students must gather and organize data, then search for patterns. Also, if a grid is placed on the table, the ball always traverses on diagonals of the squares of the grid. For example, the illustration below shows the path of a ball on a 5 x 3 table. Students first learn how to predict the pocket into which a ball will fall and the number of hits as the ball crosses the table.
Students further develop their analytical skills by investigating the number of squares crossed.
All three relations depend upon the lengths of the sides of the pool table. To maximize student learning, certain prerequisites are necessary to use this activity. Use the concept of common factor to find the rectangle with the smallest area having a given ratio of sides. Practice gathering and organizing data and looking for patterns. This I-Math Investigation provides online materials and resources for exploring the Paper Pool game.