Download Number Play – NCERT Class 6 Maths Chapter 3 PDF from the new NCERT Class 6 Maths book Ganita Prakash (2026-27). Read the chapter online or download the free PDF. Numbers do more than count. They can carry information — in this chapter each child in a line says the number of taller neighbours they have.
Number Play PDF – Chapter 3 of Ganita Prakash
Read the chapter online or download the PDF.
| Chapter | Download | |
|---|---|---|
| Chapter 3 PDF | Number Play | View PDF |
| Full book | NCERT Class 6 Maths – Ganita Prakash | View Book |
Read Online
What Is in Number Play? (Class 6 Maths Chapter 3)
- Numbers do more than count. They can carry information — in this chapter each child in a line says the number of taller neighbours they have.
- A cell is a supercell if the number written in it is greater than the numbers in all its neighbouring cells. In a single row of n cells you can get at most n ÷ 2 supercells (when n is even) or (n + 1) ÷ 2 (when n is odd) by filling the big numbers in alternate cells.
- The digit sum of a number is found by adding its digits (6 + 8 = 14 for 68). A palindrome reads the same from both ends — 66, 848, 12421.
- Kaprekar’s routine — largest number minus smallest number made from the same four digits, again and again — always lands on 6174. With 3-digit numbers it always lands on 495.
- The Collatz rule (even → take half; odd → 3 × it + 1) seems to bring every number down to 1, but nobody in the world has been able to prove it. It is a famous unsolved problem.
- Estimation and winning strategies are also number skills — in the game “21” (adding 1, 2 or 3) the first player wins by always saying 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21.
Quick revision – Number Play
| Idea | What it means | Example from the chapter | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supercell | A cell whose number is greater than every neighbouring cell | 626 sits between 577 and 345 | 626 is a supercell |
| Most supercells | Put the big numbers in alternate cells, starting from the first | A row of 9 cells | 5 supercells |
| Digit sum | Add up all the digits of the number | 68, 176, 545 | Digit sum 14 for each |
| How many n-digit numbers | 9 × 10, 9 × 100, 9 × 1000 … | 3-digit / 5-digit numbers | 900 / 90,000 |
| Digit ‘7’ count | Count a digit position by position | 1 – 100 / 1 – 1000 | 20 times / 300 times |
| Palindrome | Reads the same left to right and right to left | 66, 848, 1111, 12421 | 9 three-digit palindromes from 1, 2, 3 |
| Reverse and add | Add a number to its reverse till a palindrome appears | 48 + 84 = 132, 132 + 231 | 363 |
| Kaprekar constant | Largest − smallest from the same 4 digits, repeated | 6382 → 6264 → 4176 | Always 6174 |
| Kaprekar for 3 digits | The same steps with three digits | 321 → 198 → 792 → 693 → 594 | Always 495 |
| Collatz rule | Even → half it; odd → 3 × it + 1 | 12, 6, 3, 10, 5, 16, 8, 4, 2, 1 | Always reaches 1 (unproved) |
| Game 21 (add 1, 2 or 3) | Say 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21 | First player starts with 1 | First player always wins |
| Game 99 (add 1 to 10) | Keep the total at 11, 22, 33, … 99 | Second player replies 11 − x | Second player always wins |
Old NCERT vs New – Class 6 Maths
This chapter is from Ganita Prakash, the new NCERT Class 6 Maths book (NCF-SE 2023, used from 2024-25). It replaced the old book “Mathematics”, so chapter numbers and names differ from older PDFs.
Solutions and All Chapters
Answers to the exercises and the full chapter list of Ganita Prakash:
Number Play – Overview
| Class | Class 6 |
| Subject | Maths |
| Book | Ganita Prakash – new NCERT book |
| Chapter | 3 of 10 – Number Play |
| Book pages | 55 – 73 |
| Edition | NCERT Reprint 2026-27 |
| Session | 2026-27 |
| Free – read online or download |
Class 6 Maths Chapter 3 – FAQs
Where can I download Number Play Class 6 PDF?
From the download table on this page – the chapter PDF is free, and the full book is linked too.
What is Class 6 Maths Chapter 3 about?
Numbers do more than count. They can carry information — in this chapter each child in a line says the number of taller neighbours they have.
Is Number Play from the new NCERT Class 6 Maths book?
Yes. It is chapter 3 of ganita prakash, the new NCERT Class 6 Maths book for 2026-27.
Is this the latest NCERT edition for 2026-27?
Yes – the PDF is NCERT’s latest edition for the 2026-27 session.
Where are the NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Maths Chapter 3?
Open the NCERT Solutions link above for answers to the exercise questions.