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Assessment
Assessment
G7 Amber
SHANGHAI SINGAPORE
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
Grade 7 MATHEMATICS 2014/2015
Due Date: Friday 17th October, Week 7
Draft 2
Level Achieved
Part 1
1. Calculate and fill in the blanks.
21 = 2
25 = 32
29 = 512
213 = 8192
22 = 4
26 = 64
210 = 1024
214 = 16 348
23 = 8
27 = 128
211 = 2048
215 = 32 768
24= 16
28 = 256
212 = 4096
216 = 65 536
2. Do you see any pattern occurring on the last digit of the numbers above? If yes,
how would you describe the pattern?
Yes. The numbers are always either 2, 4, 6 or 8.
3. In mathematics, why do we want to find patterns? How can they be useful?
It can help us find the answer to a question easier and helps us understand the
question, concept and answer better.
We can use a clock model to represent how this number pattern cycles through the
last digits. If we investigate how this works we may be able to spot a pattern
between the power of 2 and the last digit.
The first tick of our clock lands on 2, the second tick on 4 etc.
Ryan Chow
G7 Amber
25 Ticks
30 Ticks
35 Ticks
40 Ticks
45 Ticks
50 Ticks
55 Ticks
7. Using the information in your table, how could you predict which number of ticks
will land on a 6? Describe your method.
I would find the number 6 and what the number of ticks it is associated with and
then I would find out the pattern and then based on that pattern, I can find out what
the number of ticks are. In this case, 20 and 40 ticks are associated with the
number 6 so in this, I find the pattern that every 20 ticks, the pointer would land
on the number 6.
8. How could you predict which number of ticks will land on a 4, 8 or 2? Describe
your method.
Again, I would find the number of ticks the numbers requested are associated
with and then I can find out how many ticks are needed to land on that number.
Or, I could add five ticks for each number going bigger to find out how many
ticks are needed to land on that number for instance, for the number 6, there are
20 ticks, so, for the next number, 2, I would add five ticks to get to that number.
8. What do the ticks represent in our clock model?
The ticks represent the increase in the power.
9. How could we use our clock model to predict the last digit of any power of 2?
Describe your method.
We could use the clock model as a way to calculate the numbers with using a
table or imagining it in our minds to find the power of a certain number in a much
easier and quicker way.
11. Find the last digits of 2
50
and 2
71
Explain how you arrive at that result. Justify your answers by using a calculator or
other techniques.
2
Ryan Chow
50 divided 4=12
G7 Amber
71 divided 4=17
4, 8
Part 2
Now we will try to use the clock model to find a pattern for the last digits of powers
of 3.
13. Calculate and fill in the blanks
31 = 3
34= 81
37 = 2187
310 = 59 094
32= 9
35 = 243
38 = 6561
33 = 27
36= 729
39 = 19 683
14. Can you use the clock model to find a pattern for the last digits of powers of 3?
If so, explain the pattern and how you would use it to predict the last digit for any
power of 3. Show all tables and working out.
The last digit changes as 3-9-7-1 and repeating.
50
71
15. Find the last digits of 3
and 3
Explain how you arrive at that result. Justify your answers by using a calculator or
other techniques.
9, 7
Part 3
16. In a competition, your friend was asked to find the last digit of
Can you use the findings of your investigation above to help your
friend?
2106 389
Ryan Chow
G7 Amber
Extension
Use the Internet to find out about modular arithmetic and the modulus.
What does it mean in maths?
How does it relate to this number pattern problem?
Modular arithmetic is a system of arithmetic for integers, where numbers "wrap
around" upon reaching a certain valuethe modulus.
An example of this is 2222^5555 + 5555^2222 divisible by 7?
2222^5555 + 5555^2222 = 35555 + 42222. The series of powers of a given
number is bound to be cyclic.
For example, 32 = 2 (mod 7), 33 = 6 (mod 7), 34 = 4 (mod 7), and so on: 3, 2, 6, 4,
5, 1, 3 Note that 5555 = 5 (mod 6). Therefore, 22225555 = 35 (mod 7) = 5 (mod
7).