Problem Solving and Patterns

1.

The diagram above shows the first four flowerbeds in a sequence. Each flowerbed
contains two types of plant, pansies (+) and primroses (O). The table shows the number
of plants in the first three flowerbeds.

a. Copy and complete the columns for flowerbeds 4 and 5.

b. Find an expression, in terms of n, for
i. The number of pansies in flowerbed n,
ii. The number of primroses in flowerbed n.
c. Hence, show that the total number of plants in flowerbed n can be expressed in
the form (𝑛 + 2)(𝑛 + 3)
d. Calculate the total number of plants in flowerbed 10.
e. There are 306 plants in flowerbed k.
i. Show that k satisfies the equation 𝑘 2 + 5𝑘 − 300 = 0
ii. Solve the equation 𝑘 2 + 5𝑘 − 300 = 0
iii. Hence find the number of pansies in flowerbed k
2. The diagram below shows small, black, grey and white triangles forming a pattern.

The table below chows the number of triangles in each diagram.

a. Complete the column D for Diagram 6.

b. Write an expression, in terms of n, for the number of
i. Small triangles in Diagram n,
ii. Black triangles in Diagram n.
3. The diagram shows the first four rows of a pattern of numbers.

The table shows some results obtained from this pattern.

a. Find the values of p, q, r and s.

b. Find expressions, in terms of n, for x, y, and z.
c. Write down the middle number in Row 101.
4
4. The nth term of a sequence is 𝑛2
a. Write down the first three terms of the sequence, expressing each term in its
simplest form.
1
b. The kth term in the sequence is 100. Find the value of k.
c. Given that the mth term of the sequence is less than 0.0064, find the smallest
value of m?
5.
a. The nth term of a sequence is 7 − 2𝑛. Write down the 23rd term in this sequence.
 b. (i) The first five terms of another sequence are
4 7 10 13 16
Write down an expression, in terms of n, for the nth term of this sequence.
(ii) The first five terms of another sequence are
4 7 10 13 16
1 4 9 16 25
(a) Write down the next term in the sequence
(b) Write an expression, in terms of n, for the nth term of this sequence.

6. Bob makes fences using identical rods one metre long. The rods are bolted together at
their ends. Some fences, with different lengths, are shown below.

The table shows the numbers if bolts and rods used for various lengths of fence.

a. Write down the values of p and q

b. Given that 𝐵 = 3𝑛 + 𝑘, where k is a constant, find the value of k.
c. Find an expression for R in terms of n.
d. Bob has 200 bolts and 400 rods. How many complete fences can he make which
have a length of 6 m?
 Answers:
1. 6+4n, 𝑛2 + 𝑛, 156, 15, 66
2. 𝑛2 , 2n-1
3. 11, 30, 60, 6; 2n+1, 𝑛2 + 𝑛, 2(𝑛2 + 𝑛), 102
4
4. 4, 1, 9, 20, 26
3𝑛+1
5. -39, 3n+1, 19/36, 𝑛2
6. 14, 27, 2, 7n-1, 9
N, B, R

LATEST PAST PAPER QUESTIONS:

1.

The diagram shows a sequence of triangles made up of identical sticks.

Each triangle has two more sticks on each edge than its previous triangle.
The table below shows information relating to this sequence.

a. Complete the column for triangle 4.

b. Find an expression, in terms of n, for 𝑥.
c. Find an expression, in terms of n, for 𝑦
d. The total number of sticks in the first triangle = 3
The total number of sticks in the first two triangles = 12
The total number of sticks in the first three triangles = 27
i. Write down the total number of sticks in the first four triangles.
 ii. Find an expression, in terms of n, for the total number of sticks in the first 𝑛
triangles.
2. Two sequences have 1, 3, 5 as their first three terms.
a. In the first sequence, each term is 2 more than the term before it.
i. Find an expression, in terms of 𝑛, for the nth term.
ii. The 𝑘th term of this sequence is 841. Find the value of k.
b. The nth of the second sequence is
(𝑛 − 1)(𝑛 − 4)
2𝑛−1 −
2
i. Find the fourth term of this sequence.
ii. Find the fifth term of this sequence.
3. A sequence of diagrams is made using counters.

a. Complete the table.

b. Find an expression, in terms of n, for the number of counters in Diagram 𝑛

c. In this sequence, Diagram 𝑝 has 200 counters. Find the value of 𝑝
4.
a. The nth term of the sequence is given by 𝑛2 − 5𝑛
i. Find the 2nd term of the sequence.
ii. The 𝑝th term in the sequence is 150. Find the value of 𝑝
b. The 𝑛th term another sequence is given by 3𝑛2 − 𝑘𝑛
The 5th term in this sequence is 55
Find the value of 𝑘
5. A sequence of patterns is made using dots and lines.

a. Complete the table for Pattern 4

b. Find a formula for the number of dots, 𝑑, in Pattern 𝑝
6. The first term of a sequence is 13.
The following terms are found by alternately adding 4 and 6 to the previous term. The first
six terms are
13 17 23 27 33 37
 a. Write down the next two terms of the sequence.
b. Write down the value of the term that is closest to 999.
c. Write down the difference between the values of the 91st and 93rd terms.
d. Find the 80th term
e. The nth term is 203. Find n
7. A pattern of numbers is given below,

a. Write down Row 10

1 1 1 1 2
b. Adding the first two rows gives the result + = − =
1×2 2×3 1 3 3
1 1 1 1 1 3
Adding the first three rows gives the result 1×2 + 2×3 + 3×4 = 1 − 4 = 4
i. Write down the result of adding the first four rows.
ii. Use the pattern to write down
1 1 1 1
a) The value of 1×2 + 2×3 + 3×4 + ⋯ + 19×20
109
b) The number of rows that add up to 110,
c) An expression, in terms of n, for the result of adding the first 𝑛 rows.
8. The first four terms of a sequence, S, are 89, 83, 77, 71.
a. Find an expression for 𝑆𝑛 , the nth term of this sequence.
b. Find the smallest value of n for which 𝑆𝑛 < 0.
c. The nth term of a different sequence, T, is given by 𝑇𝑛 = 𝑛2 − 4𝑛
i. Find and simplify an expression for 𝑇𝑛+1 − 𝑇𝑛
ii. The difference between 𝑇𝑝+1 and 𝑇𝑝 is 75. Find the value if p.

9. The term-to-term table for a sequence is

The first three terms in this sequence are 1, 2 and 5

Write down the next two terms in the sequence.
a. The nth term of a second sequence is given by the expression 4𝑛 − 3
Find the number in this sequence that is closest to 150.
b. The nth term of a different sequence us given by the expression 𝑛2 + 1
i. Write down the first four terms of this sequence.
ii. Hence write down an expression in terms of n, for the nth term of the
following sequence.
0, 3, 8, 15 …

10. The sequence of diagrams below shows small black and small white squares in an
arrangement to form large squares.
 The table below shows the numbers of black and white squares in each diagram.

a. For each diagram, how many more black squares are than white squares?
b. On the table, complete the column for Diagram 4.
c. Write down an expression, in terms of n, for the total number of black and white
squares in Diagram n.
11. Here are the first four terms of a sequence
𝟕 𝟏𝟏 𝟏𝟓 𝟏𝟓 𝟏𝟗
Write down an expression, in terms of n, for the nth term of this sequence.

12. 𝑼𝒏 is the nth term of another sequence.

Here is the formula connecting the nth and (n+1)th terms of this sequence.
3𝑈𝑛 − 4 = 𝑈𝑛+1
The value of 𝑈3 is 11. Find 𝑈2 and 𝑈4
13. Here is part of a number grid.
A square can be placed anywhere on the grid outlining four numbers.
The numbers in opposite corners of the square are multiplied together and the difference
between the products is found.

a. The grid is continued downwards. If n represents the number of the top left of the
square, complete this square with expressions for the other numbers.
 b. Use your answer to part (a) to prove that the difference between the products of the
opposite corners is always 6.

c. Here is part of a different number grid.

A cross can be placed anywhere on the grid outlining five numbers. The numbers in
the cross are added together.

d. Find and simplify an expression, in terms of n, for the sum of the numbers in the
cross below.

e. The sum of the numbers in the cross below is 330.

Complete the cross with the correct numbers.

14. The first five terms of a sequence are 17, 11, 5, -1, -7. Find, in terms of n, an expression for
the nth term of this sequence.
15. The nth term, 𝑆𝑛 , of a different sequence is found using the formula 𝑆𝑛 = 𝑛2 + 3𝑛.
a. Work out the first four terms of this sequence.
b. The nth term, 𝑇𝑛 , of another sequence is found using the formula 𝑇𝑛 = 5𝑛 − 12
𝑆
There are two values of 𝑛 for which 𝑇𝑛 = 6
𝑛
Form and solve an equation in n to find these two values.
16. The first and the second terms of a sequence are 15 and 11 respectively.
 𝐵
The nth term of the sequence is 10 + 𝐴𝑛 + 𝑛
a. Show that 𝐴 + 𝐵 = 5 and 4𝐴 + 𝐵 = 2
b. Solve the simultaneous equations.
𝐴+𝐵 =5
4𝐴 + 𝐵 = 2
c. Hence find the third term of the sequence.
17. The first four lines of a pattern of numbers are shown below.

a. Write down the 7th line of the pattern

b. Write down an expression, in terms of n, to complete the nth line of the pattern.
_________________ = 8 × (1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + ⋯ + 𝑛)
𝑛(𝑛+1)
c. Using the nth line of the pattern, show that 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + ⋯ + 𝑛 =
2