Number Patterns and Sequences
Exercise 1
Copy these sequences into your jotter and write down the next 2 numbers
1) 32, 34, 36, 38, …., ….2) 16, 19, 22, 25, …., …. 3) 17, 20, 23, 26, …., ….
4) 39, 36, 33, 30, …., ….5) 51, 48, 45, 42, …., …. 6) 21, 25, 29, 33, …., ….
7) 52, 56, 60, 64, …., ….8) 4, 5, 6, 7, …., …. 9) 9, 10, 11, 12, …., ….
Exercise 2
For each question:
a Copy and complete the table
b Write down the formula which works for the table
1 A 1 2 3 4 5 6 30 2 C 1 2 3 4 5 6 25
B 5 8 11 D 6 8 10
3 E 1 2 3 4 5 6 50 4 G 1 2 3 4 5 6 100
F 1 3 5 H 1 4 7
5 J 1 2 3 4 5 6 60 6 L 1 2 3 4 5 6 25
K 4 7 10 M 5 9 13
7 N 1 2 3 4 5 6 30 8 Q 1 2 3 4 5 6 40
P 4 9 14 R 1 5 9
9 S 1 2 3 4 5 6 35 10 U 1 2 3 4 5 6 4
0
T 7 9 11 V 7 12 17
Exercise 3
1) A manufacturer makes necklaces in various sizes.
The smallest size has a single link which is made up
of 1 ring and 4 beads.
1 ring 4 beads
The next size looks like this:
2 rings 7 beads
a) Draw the next size in the sequence.
b) Complete this table to show how the pattern is built up.
Number of rings (R) 1 2 3 4 5 13
Number of beads (B) 4 7
c) Write down a formula for finding the number of beads (B) if you
know the number of rings (R).
2) The following patterns are made using circles.
a) Draw Pattern 4
b) Complete this table showing how many circles are needed for each
pattern.
Pattern Number (P) 1 2 3 4 5 6 12
Number of Circles (C)
c) Write down a formula for finding the number of circles (C) if you
know the pattern number (P).
3) These patterns are made with circles.
Pattern 1 Pattern 2 Pattern 3
a) Draw pattern 4.
b) Complete the table.
Pattern number (P) 1 2 3 4 5 6 12
Number of circles (C) 1 4
c) Write down a formula for finding the number of circles if you know
the pattern number.
4) The growth of a plant over three weeks is shown in these sketches.
The plant continues to grow at the same rate.
a) Draw a sketch to show what the plant will look like in week 4.
b) Complete the table to show the continued growth of the plant.
Week (W) 1 2 3 4 5 6 12
Number of leaves (L) 3 5
c) Write down a formula for finding the number of leaves (L) on the
plant if you know the number of weeks (W) it has been growing.
5) These patterns are made with squares.
Pattern 1 Pattern 2 Pattern 3 Pattern 4
a) Draw Pattern 4 in the space above.
b) Complete this table.
Pattern number (P) 1 2 3 4 5 6 11
Number of squares (S)
c) Write down a formula for finding the number of squares (S) if you
know the pattern number (P).
6) The diagrams below show the number of people sitting at desks.
a) Draw the next diagram in the sequence
b) Complete the table below for this pattern.
Number of desks (D) 1 2 3 4 10 20
Number of people (P)
c) Write down a formula for finding the number of people (P) if you
know the number of desks (D).
7) John was doodling during his art lesson and stumbled upon an
interesting pattern. He noticed that if he joined two circles by a straight
line and then added other lines around the sides an ordered pattern
was formed.
The first three doodles in his pattern are shown below.
a) Draw the next doodle in John’s pattern.
b) Complete the table below to show how many lines there would be
around a particular number of circles.
Number of circles (C) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 20
Number of lines (L) 7 10 13
c) Write down a formula for finding the number of lines (L) if you
were given the number of circles (C).
8) When a line of cars is given a police escort, it is led by three
motorbikes and each car has a motorbike on either side.
a) Complete the table.
Number of cars (C) 2 3 4 5 6 13
Number of motorbikes (M) 9
b) Write down a formula for finding the number of motorbikes (M) if
you know the number of cars (C).
9) A design consists of rectangles and triangles.
The first three patterns are shown.
a) Complete this table
Number of rectangles (R) 1 2 3 4 5 6 9
Number of triangles (T) 6 8
b) Write down a formula for finding the number of triangles (T) if you
know the number of rectangles (R).
Exercise 4
1) The sides of bridges can be made by joining
together identical triangular plates, each with
a base length of 1 metre.
The diagram below shows one side of a bridge
3 metres long, which needs 5 plates.
a) Copy and complete the table below.
Length of bridge in metres (L) 3 4 5 6 7 20
Number of plates for one side (N) 5
b) Write down a formula for the number of plates, N, needed to make
one side of a bridge of length L metres.
c) Can one side of a bridge have exactly 90 plates?
Explain your answer.
2) A children’s play area is to be fenced.
The fence is made in sections using
lengths of wood as shown.
a) Copy and complete the table.
Number of sections (s) 1 2 3 4 5 12
Number of lengths of wood (w) 6 11
b) Write down a formula for calculating the number of lengths of
wood (w), when you know the number of sections (s).
3) Jenni is making a wallpaper border.
She is using stars and dots to make the border.
a) Copy and complete the table.
Number of stars (s) 1 2 3 4 5
Number of dots (d) 11
b) Write down a formula for calculating the number of dots (d), when
you know the number of stars (s).
4) Sandra is working on the design for a bracket.
She is using matches to make each shape.
a) Copy and complete the table.
Shape number (s) 1 2 3 4 5 6 13
Number of matches (m) 5 9 21
b Find a formula for calculating the number of matches, (m), when
you know the shape number, (s).
5) Mhairi makes necklaces in M-shapes using silver bars.
a) Copy and complete the table.
Number of M-shapes (m) 1 2 3 4 15
Number of bars (b) 4 7
b) Write down a formula for calculating the number of bars (b) when
you know the number of M-shapes (m).
Exercise 5
1) Here is a sequence of patterns.
1st pattern 2nd pattern 3rd pattern
a) Copy and complete the table below.
Pattern number (n) 1 2 3 4 5 12
Number of squares (s)
b) Write down the formula for the number of squares (s) in the n th
diagram.
c) Which pattern has 130 squares?
2) The diagrams below are the first three in a sequence.
Each diagram is made up of black and white squares.
a) Following the pattern copy and complete the table.
Number of black squares (B) 1 2 3 4 5 6 12
Number of white squares (W) 8
b) Write down the formula for the number of white squares, W, if
there are B black squares.
c) How many black squares are there if there are 65 white squares?
3) The diagram below shows the 2nd, 3rd and 4th diagrams in a sequence.
?
1st 2nd 3rd 4th
a) Copy and complete the table below.
Diagram Number (n) 1 2 3 4 5 6 80
Number of squares (s)
b) Draw the first diagram in the sequence.
c) Write down a formula for s in terms of n.
d) Which diagram has 94 squares?
4) A child is making a sequence of zigzag patterns using rods.
These are the first few diagrams in the sequence.
a) Copy and complete the table below.
Diagram Number (n) 1 2 3 4 5 6 12
Number of rods (r) 4 10
b) How many rods are in the nth diagram.
Write your answer as a formula.
c) Which diagram in the sequence has 400 rods?
5) Easyloan Hire Company hires out tools and building equipment.
The cost (£C) of hiring a ladder for , d, days is shown in the table
below.
Number of days (d) 2 3 4 5
Cost in £s (C) 11 15 19 23
a) Write down a formula connecting C and d.
b) Use your formula to calculate the cost of hiring a ladder for a
fortnight.
c) How many days is the ladder hired for if the cost is £111?
