0/3 in 1 way

Colouring Rectangles
This rectangle has been divided into halves
We can shade:
0/2 in 1 way

in 2 ways

2/2 in 1 way

This rectangle has been divided into thirds
We can shade:


1/3 in 3 ways

2/3 in 3 ways

3/3 in 1 way

This rectangle has been divided into quarters





We can shade:
0/4 in 1 way


in 4 ways



2/4 in 4 ways


in 4 ways
4/4 in 1 way

Rectangle
split into
Number of squares shaded
0 1 2 3 4 5 Total
1 2 1 ---- ---- ---- 4
1/3 1 3 3 1 ----- ---- 8
1 4 4 4 1 ---- 14
1/5 1 5 5 5 5 1 22

The patterns that I can see in my table for the first number of square shaded, 0, and for
the last number of squares shaded, it depends into what you have split you rectangle for


instance 1/3, there is only one possible way of shading it. Also I can notice that the
number of squares shaded from up to one less of the fraction youve divided the
rectangles is the same. For instance when you dive into quarters for 1 square shaded
there are 4 different ways, the same is for 2 squares and three squares, but when it
comes to 4/4 there is only 1 possible way.
Prediction test
The rectangle has been divided into fifths
0/5 in 1 way


1/5 in 5 ways





2/5 in 8 ways
3/5 in 10 ways
4/5 in 3 ways
5/5 in 1 way
As you can see my prediction numbers werent as accurate as I thought they would be if
they followed the pattern of the other numbers did. My predicted numbers were
1,5,5,5,5,1 and the total number 22, but the numbers that Ive got once I tested my
prediction are 1,5,8,10,3,1 and the total number is 28. What this suggests is that there is
a certain pattern up to 4 and from 5 forward its another pattern.