10 Chapter10 153-165
10 Chapter10 153-165
10 Chapter10 153-165
The diagram shows a sequence of circles. Each circle has some points marked
around its circumference. Each point is joined to every other point by a line.
The lines and regions are then counted. The lines and regions are not all the same
size.
Task 1
Describe a rule for how the number of points increases in this sequence.
Task 2
Describe a rule for how the number of lines increases.
Task 3
Describe a rule for how the number of regions increases.
Number sequences
1
Pattern 1
1 point
0 lines
1 region
Pattern 2
2 points
1 line
2 regions
Pattern 3
3 points
3 lines
4 regions
Pattern 4
4 points
6 lines
8 regions
1
1 1
2
2
3
4
1 1
2 2
3
1
2
4
3
1
3
2
5
6
7
8
4
CHAPTER 10
In this chapter you will learn how to:
recognise and use common number sequences
use rules to generate number sequences
find a general formula for the nth term of an arithmetic sequence.
You will also be challenged to:
investigate Fibonacci numbers.
Starter: Circles, lines and regions
153
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Task 4
Now draw pattern 5 and pattern 6, and see if your rules seem correct. You
should space out the points so that no triple intersections can occur, otherwise
you lose a region, for example:
10.1 Number sequences
Here are some number sequences that occur often in mathematics.
You may encounter these number patterns when solving mathematical
problems based on counting patterns.
EXAMPLE
Look at this pattern of squares.
a) How many squares would there be in pattern 5?
b) Find a formula for the number of squares in pattern n.
c) Use your formula to find the number of squares in pattern 100.
Chapter 10: Number sequences
154
No Yes
Name of sequence First six terms Formula for the nth term
Positive integers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, n
Even numbers 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 2n
Odd numbers 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 2n 1
Square numbers 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, n
2
Cube numbers 1, 8, 27, 64, 125, 216, n
3
Powers of 2 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 2
n
Powers of 10 10, 100, 1000, 10 000, 100 000, 10
n
1 000 000,
Triangular numbers 1, 3, 6, 10, 15, 21,
n(n
2
1)
2
3n
.
a) Work out the first five terms of this sequence.
b) Do the first five terms form an arithmetic sequence?
9 Timothy has been drawing patterns. Here are his first three patterns.
a) Write down the number of sticks in pattern 5.
b) Work out the number of sticks in pattern 12.
c) Write down, in terms of n, an expression for the nth term of this sequence.
10 Here are the first five terms of a sequence.
30, 29, 27, 24, 20,
a) Write down the next two terms in the sequence.
Here are the first five terms of a different sequence.
1, 5, 9, 13, 17,
b) Find, in terms of n, an expression for the nth term of the sequence. [Edexcel]
11 Here are some patterns made with crosses.
The table shows the number of crosses in pattern numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Write down a formula for the number of crosses, C, in terms of the pattern number, n. [Edexcel]
Chapter 10: Number sequences
162
Pattern 1
6 sticks
Pattern 3
16 sticks
Pattern 2
11 sticks
Pattern number 1 Pattern number 2 Pattern number 4 Pattern number 3
Pattern number (n) 1 2 3 4
Number of crosses (C) 5 8 11 14
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12 Here are the first five numbers of a simple sequence.
1, 5, 9, 13, 17
a) Write down the next two numbers of the sequence.
b) Write down, in terms of n, an expression for the nth term of this sequence. [Edexcel]
13 Here are the first five terms of an arithmetic sequence.
6, 11, 16, 21, 26
Find an expression, in terms of n, for the nth term of this sequence. [Edexcel]
14 The table shows some rows of a number pattern.
a) Complete row 4 of the table.
b) Complete row 8 of the table.
c) Work out the sum of the first 100 whole numbers.
d) Write down an expression, in terms of n, for the sum of the first n whole numbers. [Edexcel]
15 The diagram shows patterns made of dots.
The number of dots in each pattern is shown in the table below.
a) Copy and complete the table.
Review exercise 10
163
Row 1 1
1
2
2
Row 2 1 2
2
2
3
Row 3 1 2 3
3
2
4
Row 4
Row 5
Row 6
Row 7
Row 8
Pattern
number 1 2 3 4
Pattern number 1 2 3 4 5 6
Number of dots 2 5 9 14
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b) (i) Work out the number of dots in pattern number 10.
(ii) Give a reason for your answer.
The first four triangular numbers are 1, 3, 6, 10.
An expression for the nth triangular number is
n(n
2
1)
.
c) Use this to write down an expression for the number of dots in pattern number m.
d) Work out the number of dots in pattern number 99. [Edexcel]
Chapter 10: Number sequences
164
Key points
1 Common number sequences include the positive integers, the even numbers and
the odd numbers. Others you should learn to recognise are:
Square numbers 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36,
Cube numbers 1, 8, 27, 64, 125, 216,
Powers of 2 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32,
Powers of 10 1, 10, 100, 1000, 10 000, 100 000,
Triangular numbers 1, 3, 6, 10, 15, 21,
2 Some number sequences may be defined in words, by stating how each term is
connected to the previous one. This type of definition can be inefficient in practice,
since to find the 50th term, for example, you have to find all the intermediate terms
too.
3 Some number sequences may also be described by means of an expression that
allows you to find the nth term of the sequence directly. This type of rule is quite
efficient, because you can find any term in the sequence directly, without having to
compute all the intermediate ones.
4 An arithmetic sequence is one that goes up in equal steps; the formula for the nth
term of such a sequence will be of the form an b. The coefficient a is equal to the
step size, and b is equal to the value of the imaginary zeroth term.
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Internet Challenge 10
165
Internet Challenge 10
Fibonacci numbers
Fibonacci numbers are used to model the behaviour of living systems. Fibonacci numbers also lead to the
Golden Ratio, widely used in classical art and architecture. In this challenge you will need to use a
spreadsheet at first, before looking on the internet to complete your work.
Here is the Fibonacci number sequence:
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, .
1 Type these numbers into a computer spreadsheet, such as Excel. (It is a good idea to enter them in a
vertical list, rather than a horizontal one.)
2 Each term (apart from the first two) is found by adding together the two previous ones, for example,
13 8 5. Use your spreadsheet replicating functions to automatically generate a list of the first
50 Fibonacci numbers.
3 Divide each Fibonacci number by the one before it, for example 8 5 1.6. Set up a column on your
spreadsheet to do this up to the 50th Fibonacci number. What do you notice?
The quantities you found in question 3 approach a limit called the Golden Ratio, .
4 Using your spreadsheet value for , calculate 1 and
1
. What do you notice?
Now use the internet to help answer the following questions. Find pictures where appropriate.
5 How was the Golden Ratio used by the builders of the Parthenon in Athens?
6 Whose painting of The Last Supper was based on Golden Ratio constructions?
7 Which painter was said to have attacked every canvas by the golden section?
8 When was Fibonacci born? When did he die?
9 Is there a position-to-term rule for Fibonacci numbers, that is, is there a formula for finding the nth
number?
10 What sea creature has a spiral shell that is often (mistakenly) said to be based on a Golden Ratio spiral?
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