Look for a pattern

1 . This stairway is made of cubes. How many cubes would be needed to

make the steps 9 steps high?

Answer:

     Find a pattern.

     2 steps        3 cubes             2 + 1

     3 steps        6 cubes             3 + (2 + 1)
     4 steps       10 cubes             4 + (3 + 2 + 1)
     5 steps

     9 steps       45 cubes             9 + (8 + 7 + 6 + 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1)

     You will need 45 cubes.

2 . An ice cream stand has nine different flavours. A group of children
come to the stand and each buys a double scoop cone with two flavours of
ice cream. If none of the children choose the same combination of flavours,
and every different combination of flavors is chosen, how many children
are there?

FLAVOURS

1 Vanilla
2 Maple
3 Chocolate
4 Tiger
5 Raspberry
6 Strawberry
7 Coffee
8 Moon Mist
9 Cherry Vanilla

Answer:

     The number of children = number of different combinations of

     two different flavours.

        1,2     2,3     3,4     4,5     5,6     6,7     7,8     8,9

        1,3     2,4     3,5     4,6     5,7     6,8     7,9
        1,4     2,5     3,6     4,7     5,8     6,9
        1,5     2,6     3,7     4,8     5,9
        1,6     2,7     3,8     4,9
        1,7     2,8     3,9
        1,8     2,9
        1,9

               36 = 8 + 7 + 6 + 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1

               There are 36 children.

3 . Look at the chart and fill in the numbers.

The key is to find a pattern.

4 5 9 16 7
2 2 4 5 7 1
2 3 5 6 8 4
4 6 20 42 25 63 2

Answer:

          4 = 2 + 2
              2 * 2 = 4
          5 = 2 + 3
              2 * 3 = 6

        4       5       9       13      10      15      16      3       7

        2       2       4       7       5       7       7       1       3
        2       3       5       6       5       8       9       2       4

        4       6       20      42      25      56      63      2       12