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Grade 10
Module 12. Number Patterns
Index
1. Introduction
2. Linear/Arithmetic Sequences
3. Patterns on the Cartesian Plane
4. Summary
1. Introduction
We are going to look at numeric or number patterns that form sequences. In
particular, we are going to look at how to recognise an arithmetic (or linear)
sequence and a geometric sequence.
Example 1. The following sequence is given:
2; 5; 8; 11; 14 …
Here, 𝑇1 means
𝑇2 means
Going back to the sequence, we are going to look at the differences between each
term:
Thus 𝑇2 − 𝑇1 = 3 and 𝑇3 − 𝑇2 = 3. We see that this is constant.
Rule:
Mathematically this looks like: 𝑇𝑛+1 = 𝑇𝑛 + 3
Thus, for this sequence, there is a common difference of +3 and so we call this type
of sequence, an arithmetic or linear sequence.
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Example 2. The following sequence is given by:
3; 6; 12; 24; …
Is there a constant first difference here?
Can you see that there is a constant ratio though?
Here there is a constant ratio of 2. You multiply the previous term by 2 to get the next
term.
We call this type of sequence where we have a constant ratio, a geometric
sequence.
Break this sequence up:
Rule:
We look at the geometric sequence in more detail in Grade 12.
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2. Arithmetic/Linear Sequences
Example 1. The following sequence is given by:
2; 4; 6; 8; 10 …
What are the next two terms?
What is the common difference here?
So, what type of sequence is this?
Write down the recursive formula:
This recursive formula is not always useful when you have to find out a particular
term in the sequence.
Let us look at writing our sequence in a table:
Position/ Term
number
Term
Using a flow diagram:
Input/position Output/term
General Rule: 𝑇𝑛 = 2𝑛
Thus, we can represent a number pattern in different ways:
1. Sequence
2. Recursive formula
3. Table
4. Flow diagram
5. General rule
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Example 2. Let us look at the following table:
Position/ Term 1 2 3 4 5
number
Term 2 5 8 11 14
Find the general rule or 𝑇𝑛 for the above sequence.
Example 3. Let us look at the following table:
Position/ Term 1 2 3 4 5
number
Term 1 8 15 22 29
a. Find the general rule or 𝑇𝑛 for the above sequence.
b. Find the term number that gives 92.
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3. Patterns on the Cartesian Plane
Example 1. The following matchstick pattern is given:
Drawing a table, we get:
Position/Term
Number
Number of
matchsticks
Recursive formula:
General formula:
We are going to now plot this pattern on the Cartesian Plane:
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Example 2. The following table is given: (done in Grade 12)
Recursive formula:
General formula:
We are going to now plot this pattern on the Cartesian Plane:
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Example 3. The following table is given: (done in Grade 11)
General formula:
We are going to now plot this pattern on the Cartesian Plane:
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4. Summary
1. Linear/Arithmetic Number Pattern (Grade 10)
We call a sequence that has a common difference (d) a linear/arithmetic pattern.
Example 1. The following sequence of numbers is given:
6; 1; -4; -9 …
a. Continue this pattern for 3 more terms.
b. Find the formula for the nth term (i.e. 𝑇𝑛 )
2. Exponential/Geometric Number Pattern (Grade 12)
When you multiply terms by the same number ® each time to get to the next term,
this results in a sequence called an Exponential/Geometric pattern.
Example 2. The following sequence of numbers is given:
1; 5; 25; 125 …
a. Continue this pattern for 3 more terms.
b. Find the formula for the nth term (i.e. 𝑇𝑛 )
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3. Parabolic/Quadratic Number Pattern (Grade 11)
This is a sequence of numbers which have the same second difference. Thus you
find the first differences and if they are not the same, then you find the second
difference row. If these are the same, then your sequence is a Quadratic/Parabolic
sequence.
Example 3. The following sequence of numbers is given:
5; 12; 23; 38; 57 …
a. Continue this pattern for 3 more terms.
b. Find the formula for the nth term (i.e. 𝑇𝑛 )
