Chapter 2
Patterns
■ Table of Contents
Topics Covered Page
1. What is a Pattern? 2
2. Number Patterns 2
3. Patterns in Shapes (Geometrical) 3
4. Patterns in Numbers — Special Series 4
5. Even & Odd Number Patterns 5
6. Patterns in Addition & Multiplication Tables 5
7. Triangular & Square Numbers 6
8. Patterns on a Number Chart 7
9. Coding-Decoding Patterns 7
10. Key Formulae & Quick Revision 8
11. Practice Questions 9
1. What is a Pattern?
A pattern is an arrangement of numbers, shapes, colours or objects that follows a certain rule. Recognising
the rule lets us predict what comes next.
■ A pattern always has a RULE — find the rule, find the next term!
■ Patterns can be in numbers, shapes, letters, colours, or a combination.
2. Number Patterns
2.1 Increasing Patterns
Each term is obtained by adding or multiplying a fixed value.
■ Increasing Number Patterns
a) 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, … Rule: Add 3 each time
b) 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, … Rule: Multiply by 2 each time
c) 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, … Rule: Perfect squares (1², 2², 3², 4², 5², …)
2.2 Decreasing Patterns
Each term is obtained by subtracting or dividing a fixed value.
■ Decreasing Number Patterns
a) 100, 90, 80, 70, 60, … Rule: Subtract 10 each time
b) 256, 128, 64, 32, 16, … Rule: Divide by 2 each time
2.3 Pattern Table — Finding the Rule
Sequence Difference Rule
1, 3, 5, 7, 9, … +2 each time Odd numbers
2, 4, 6, 8, 10, … +2 each time Even numbers
1, 4, 9, 16, 25, … +3, +5, +7, … (odd) Square numbers
1, 3, 6, 10, 15, … +2, +3, +4, +5, … Triangular numbers
2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, … Varies Prime numbers
3. Patterns in Shapes (Geometrical Patterns)
Shapes can also form patterns. We look at how the number of sides, dots, or matchsticks changes with each
step.
Pattern Type Description Example Rule
Dot patterns Dots arranged in rows/columns n-th step → n rows × n cols = n² dots
Matchstick patterns Squares made of matchsticks n squares need 3n + 1 matchsticks
Triangle patterns Triangles placed side by side n triangles need 2n + 1 matchsticks
Tiling patterns Repeated tiles fill a plane Each tile fits without gaps
■ Matchstick Pattern
Matchsticks forming a row of squares:
Step 1 (1 square) → 4 matchsticks
Step 2 (2 squares) → 7 matchsticks
Step 3 (3 squares) → 10 matchsticks
Step n (n squares) → 3n + 1 matchsticks
■ Triangle Matchstick Pattern
Matchsticks forming a row of triangles:
Step 1 (1 triangle) → 3 matchsticks
Step 2 (2 triangles) → 5 matchsticks
Step 3 (3 triangles) → 7 matchsticks
Step n (n triangles) → 2n + 1 matchsticks
4. Patterns in Numbers — Special Series
4.1 Patterns using 1s
Multiplication Result
1×1 1
11 × 11 121
111 × 111 12321
1111 × 1111 1234321
11111 × 11111 123454321
■ Pattern: The digits go up to the number of 1s and then come back down.
■ 111...1 (n ones) × 111...1 (n ones) = 1 2 3 … n … 3 2 1
4.2 Patterns using 9s
Expression Result
9*1+1 10
9 × 12 + 2 110
9 × 123 + 3 1110
9 × 1234 + 4 11110
5. Even & Odd Number Patterns
Property Even Odd
Form 2n (n = 1,2,3,…) 2n−1 (n = 1,2,3,…)
Ends in digit 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 1, 3, 5, 7, 9
Even + Even Even —
Odd + Odd Even —
Even + Odd Odd —
Even × Even Even —
Odd × Odd — Odd
Even × Odd Even —
■ Sum of first n odd numbers = n² (e.g. 1+3+5+7 = 16 = 4²)
■ Sum of first n even numbers = n(n+1) (e.g. 2+4+6+8 = 20 = 4×5)
6. Patterns in Addition & Multiplication Tables
Multiplication tables hide beautiful patterns. Look at the units digits of the table of 5: 5, 0, 5, 0, … — they
alternate! The table of 9 has digit-sum always equal to 9.
■ Pattern in Table of 9
Table of 9: 9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72, 81, 90
Units digits: 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0 → Decreasing by 1
Tens digits: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 → Increasing by 1
Digit sum: 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9 → Always 9!
■ Pattern in Table of 5
Table of 5: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50
Units digits: 5, 0, 5, 0, 5, 0, 5, 0, 5, 0 → Alternates 5 and 0
7. Triangular Numbers & Square Numbers
7.1 Triangular Numbers
A triangular number is the total number of dots that can be arranged in an equilateral triangle. The n-th
triangular number = n(n+1)/2.
Term (n) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Triangular No. 1 3 6 10 15 21 28 36
Difference — 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Triangular Number Formula: T(n) = n × (n + 1) / 2
Example: T(6) = 6 × 7 / 2 = 21
7.2 Square Numbers
A square number (or perfect square) is the product of a whole number with itself. It can be shown as dots
arranged in a square grid.
Term (n) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Square No. (n²) 1 4 9 16 25 36 49 64
Odd number
added 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15
■ Successive square numbers differ by successive ODD numbers.
■ 1, 4, 9, 16, 25 → differences are 3, 5, 7, 9, …
■ n² = 1 + 3 + 5 + … + (2n−1) [sum of first n odd numbers]
Square Number Formula: S(n) = n²
Sum of first n odd numbers = n²
8. Patterns on a Number Chart (1–100)
The 1–100 number chart is a powerful tool to see patterns. Colour every 2nd number → all even numbers.
Colour every 5th number → multiples of 5 form columns.
■ Patterns Found in a 1–100 Number Chart
Multiples of 2 → last digit is always 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8
Multiples of 3 → sum of digits is divisible by 3
Multiples of 5 → last digit is 0 or 5
Multiples of 10 → last digit is always 0
Multiples of 9 → digit sum is always 9 (for two-digit multiples)
■ Number Chart 1–100 (yellow = multiples of 5; blue = multiples of 2)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60
61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70
71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80
81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90
91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100
9. Coding-Decoding Patterns
Letters are sometimes assigned numbers (A=1, B=2, … Z=26) to create secret codes. Patterns help us
decode messages.
■ Letter-Number Coding
If A=1, B=2, C=3, … Z=26, then:
CODE: 8 5 12 12 15 → H E L L O
CODE: 13 1 20 8 → M A T H
■ Shifted Alphabet Pattern
Shifted alphabet (Caesar cipher, shift by 1):
A→B, B→C, C→D, … Z→A
MATH → NBUI
PATTERN → QBUUFSOA
10. Key Formulae & Quick Revision
Formula / Fact Expression
n-th triangular number T(n) = n(n+1)/2
n-th square number S(n) = n²
Sum of first n odd numbers = n²
Sum of first n even numbers = n(n+1)
Matchstick squares (row of n) 3n + 1 matchsticks
Matchstick triangles (row of n) 2n + 1 matchsticks
Sum of n natural numbers = n(n+1)/2
Even number form 2k (k = 1, 2, 3, …)
Odd number form 2k − 1 (k = 1, 2, 3, …)
■ Always find the RULE first — look at the difference between terms.
■ Check if the difference itself is constant (arithmetic) or follows a pattern.
■ For shape patterns, count carefully at each step and tabulate.
■ Memorise: T(n) = n(n+1)/2 and S(n) = n² — they appear often!
11. Practice Questions
Part A — Fill in the Next Two Terms
1. 3, 7, 11, 15, _____, _____
2. 2, 6, 18, 54, _____, _____
3. 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, _____, _____ (Fibonacci)
4. 100, 91, 82, 73, _____, _____
5. 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, _____, _____
Part B — Find the Rule
6. 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, … Rule: _______________
7. 1, 3, 6, 10, 15, 21, … Rule: _______________
8. 81, 27, 9, 3, 1, … Rule: _______________
9. 2, 5, 10, 17, 26, … Rule: _______________ (Hint: differences)
Part C — Application Problems
10. How many matchsticks are needed to make a row of 8 squares?
11. What is the 10th triangular number?
12. Which triangular number equals 55?
13. The sum of first 7 odd numbers = ? Verify using the formula.
14. Write the first six square numbers and show the odd-number differences.
15. Using the pattern in the table of 9, find: 9 × 7 without multiplying.
Part D — Geometrical Patterns
16. Draw and extend this pattern for one more step: ■ ■■ ■■■
17. A dot pattern has 1, 3, 6, 10 dots. Is this triangular? Explain.
18. How many dots are in the 8th step of a square-dot pattern?
Answer Key (Part A)
1. 19, 23 2. 162, 486 3. 13, 21 4. 64, 55 5. 36, 49
Answer Key (Part B)
6. Multiply by 2 7. Triangular numbers (add n each time) 8. Divide by 3 9. Add successive odd numbers
(3,5,7,9,…)
Answer Key (Part C)
10. 3×8 + 1 = 25 11. 10×11/2 = 55 12. n=10 (10×11/2=55) 13. 7² = 49 14. 1,4,9,16,25,36 — differences
3,5,7,9,11 15. 63 (units decreases by 1 from table)
Class 6 Mathematics · Chapter 2: Patterns · CBSE Board · Complete Notes