MATHEMATICS IN NATURE

Patterns in nature are noticeable regularities of form observed in the natural

world. These patterns reappear in different circumstances and can be demonstrated
mathematically. Natural patterns that can be found in nature include symmetry, spirals,
waves, and the like. The following are examples of patterns that we can find in nature.
Pinecones
Pinecones have seed pods that
arrange in a spiral pattern. They consist
of a pair of spirals, each one twisting
upwards in opposing directions.

The number of steps will almost

always match a pair of consecutive
Fibonacci numbers. For example, a
three–to–five cone meets at the back
after three steps along the left spiral and
five steps along the right.

Honeycombs

 Bees are renowned as first-rate honey producers and they
are also adept at geometry. For centuries, mankind has marveled
at the incredible hexagonal figures in honeycombs which bees
can instinctively create, while for humans, they need the
assistance of a compass and ruler.

Honeycombs are examples of wallpaper symmetry. This is

where a pattern is repeated until it covers a plane.

Mathematicians believe bees build these hexagonal

constructions because it is the shape most efficient for storing the
largest possible amount of honey while using the least amount of
wax.

Milky Way Galaxy

Recently, a new section on As well as having
the edges of the Milky Way mirror symmetry, the Milky Way
Galaxy was discovered, and, by has another amazing design.
studying this, astronomers now Like nautilus shells and
believe the galaxy is a near- sunflowers, each ‘arm’ of the
perfect mirror image of itself. galaxy symbolizes a logarithmic
spiral that begins at the galaxy’s
Using this new information, center and expands outwards.
scientists have become more
confident in their theory that the
galaxy has only two major arms:
the Scutum-Centaurus and the
Perseus.
Source: http://www.planetdolan.com/15-beautiful-examples-of-mathematics-in-nature/2/
Note: Name: Score:
Section: Date:

Activity 1
Mathematics in Nature
Complete the table below by drawing pictures in nature that have a mathematical
connection and explain its connection in the second column.
Pictures in Nature Mathematical Connections
PATTERNS IN MATHEMATICS
Numbers can have interesting patterns. In mathematics, a sequence is an
ordered list of numbers of elements that are usually determined using some function or
patterns. Sequences can be both finite and infinite. A sequence is a set of numbers (or
other objects) that follow a particular pattern. The individual elements of a sequence are
called the term. Here we list the most common patterns and how they are made.
(https://mathigon.org/course/sequences/introduction)

Sequences and patterns

A "sequence" (called a "progression" in British English) is an ordered list of
numbers; the numbers in this ordered list are called the "elements" or the "terms" of the
sequence. (https://www.purplemath.com/modules/series.htm)

Example 1. Determine the next term in each given sequence and explain the
pattern that the sequences are following.
a. 1, −3, 9, −27, 81, ...
The next term in the given sequence is -243. (multiply by
negative 3)

b. 0, 3, 8, 15, 24, ...

The next term in the sequence is 35. (add 2 in the second
difference of consecutive numbers)

c. 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, …
The next term in the sequence is 36. (square the natural
number)

d. 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, …
The next term in the sequence is 13. (add consecutive numbers
to arrive at the next term)

e. 0, 1, 8, 27, 64, …
The next term in the sequence is 125. (cube the whole number)
Example 2. How many dots will there be in the next term?

The next term will have the given illustration below.

Note: add 6 dots below

Therefore, the number of dots in the next term is 21.

 Activity 2 20 points
Sequences and Patterns
I. Write the next three terms for the given sequences and patterns. 15 points
1. 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, …
2. 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, ...
3. 4, 10, 16, 22, 28, …
4. 3, 4, 7, 8, 11, …
5. 1, 8, 27, 64, 125, 216, 343, 512, 729, ...

II. Draw the next two figures in each pattern below. 4 pts + 1 = 5 points
.
1.

2.
Arithmetic Sequences

An arithmetic sequence goes from one term to the next by always adding (or
subtracting) the same value. The number added (or subtracted) at each stage of an
arithmetic sequence is called the common difference (d).

a n=a1 + ( n−1 ) d

where: ….

Example 1. Find the next term in the sequence 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, ___.
The common difference in the sequence is 4, therefore the
next term is 20 + 4 = 24.

Example 2. Find the 35th term in the arithmetic sequence 3, 9, 15, 21, …
Listing all the terms until you arrive at the 35 th term is too
tedious. A way to determine the value of the nth term of a
sequence is given below.
a n=a1 + ( n−1 ) d

Using the above formula

a 35=?

a 1=3

d=6

a 35=3+ ( 35−1 ) 6

a 35=207

Therefore, the 35th term of the given sequence is 207.

Activity 3
 Patterns in Mathematics (Arithmetic Sequence)
I. Find the next three terms in each sequence. 15 pts
1. 18, 11, 4, …
2. 23, 18, 13, 8, 3, …
3. 14, 34, 54, 74, 94, ...
4. 7, 2, –3, –8, –13, –18
5. 15, 11, 7, 3, -1, -5, -9 ...
II. Write down the stated term of the following arithmetic sequences. Show your
solution. 10 pts
1. -7, -5, -3, … (14th)
2. 3, 3 ½, 4, … (16th)
3. 25, 32, 39, 46, ... (20th)
4. -5, -1, 3, 7, 11, ... (12th)
5. 3, -2, -7, -12 ... (27th)
6.

III. Solve the following. 14 + 1 = 15 pts

1. What is the thirty-second term of the arithmetic sequence -12, -7, -2, 3, ... ?

2. What is the fiftieth term of the arithmetic sequence 3, 7, 11, 15, ... ?

3. What is the twentieth term of the arithmetic sequence 21, 18, 15, 12, ... ?

4. The fifth term of an arithmetic sequence is 11 and the tenth term is 41. What
is the first term?

5. The first term of an arithmetic sequence is 4 and the tenth term is 67. 
What is the common difference?
Geometric Sequence

A geometric sequence goes from one term to the next by always multiplying (or
dividing) by the same value. The number multiplied (or divided) at each stage of a
geometric sequence is called the common ratio (r). r = 2nd term divided by 1st term

Note : insert formula & where….

Example 1. Find the next term in the sequence 10, 30, 90, 270, …
This sequence has a factor of 3 between each number. Therefore,
the next term is 270 x 3 = 810.

25, 75, 225, 675, 15th term = 119 574 225

a 15=25(315−1)

Example 2. Find the 10th term in the sequence 10, 30, 90, 270, …
Listing all the terms until you arrive at the 10 th term is too
tedious, a way to determine the value of the nth term of a
geometric sequence is given below.

a n=a1 r n−1

Using the above formula

a 10=?

a 1=10

r =3(common ratio)

n=10

a 10=10∙ 310−1

a 10=10∙ 39
a 10=196830

Therefore, the 10th term of the given geometric

sequence is 196830.
 Note: include arithmetic mean and geometric mean

Activity 4 35 pts
Patterns in Mathematics (Geometric Sequence)
I. Find the next three terms in each sequence. 15 pts
1. 2, 10, 50, 250, 1250, ...
2. −2, −4, −8, −16, ...
3. −3, −15, −75, −375, ...
4. 1, −5, 25, −125, ...
5. −4, −12, −36, −108, …
II. Write down the stated term of the following geometric sequences. Show your
solution. 10 pts
1. 1, 2, 4, 8, … (12th)
2. 3, 6, 12, 24,… (8th)
3. 512, 256, 128… (6th)
4. 12, 18, 27, … (9th)
5. 2, 10, 50, … (6th)

III. Solve the following. 9 + 1 =10 pts

1. Find the next four terms of the geometric sequence with a 1 = −6 and r = −2/3.
2. Find r for the geometric progression whose first three terms are 2, 4, 8.
3. Given the first two terms in a geometric progression as 2 and 4, what is the 10th
term?
4. Given the first two terms in a geometric progression as 5 and 12, what is the 7th
term?

Arithmetic Series
 An arithmetic series is the sum of a sequence  Ak ,  A=1,2,3 ,… , in which each
term is computed from the previous one by adding (or subtracting) a constant d.

The sum of the sequence of the first n terms is then given by

n
Sn= (a 1+ an ), = n/2 (2a1 + (n-1)d)
2

Sn=n/2(2a1 + (n-1)d)
where: Sn = the sum of the terms in a sequence
n = number of terms
a1 = first term
an = last term

Example 1. Find the sum of first 75 positive integers.

Solution :

To find the sum of first 75 positive integers first let us write the series
1 + 2 + 3 + ..........+ 75
Total number of terms in the series is 75 so n = 75

1
Sn= n(a1 +a n) n/2 n*1/2 n/1*1/2
2
1
S75= ( 75)(1+75)
2
S75=2850
  
Example 2.  Find the sum of each arithmetic series 38 + 35 + 32 + ... + 2.
Solution :
a n=a1 + ( n−1 ) d

2=38+ ( n−1 ) (−3)

2=38+ (−3 n+3 )
2=41−3 n
3 n=39
n=13

1
Sn= n(a1 +a n)
2
1
S13= ( 13)(38+ 2)
2
S13=(6.5)(40)
S13=260
Note: add the other formula with examples
Activity 5 40 pts
Patterns in Mathematics (Arithmetic Series)

I. Find the sum of the following series: 20 pts

1. 3, 8 ½, …, to 20 terms

2. 19, 13, …, to 10 terms

3. -17, -12, -7,…, 33 terms

4. -9, -1, …, to 8 terms

5. 4, 11, …, to 16 terms

II. Solve the following. 20 pts

1. Find the sum of all the integers from 1 to 1000. 

2. Find the sum of all positive integers, from 5 to 1555 inclusive, that are divisible
by 5.

3. A tube well is bored 80 meters deep. The 1st meter costs ₱1250 and the cost per
meter increases by ₱250 for every subsequent meter. Find the cost of boring the
75th meter and the total cost incurred for the entire job. 8 pts

4. There is a stack of logs in the backyard. There are 15 logs in the 1 st layer, 14 in
the second, 13 in the third, 12 in the fourth, and so on with the last layer having
one log. How many logs are in the stack?

5. There are 20 rows of seats on a concert hall: 25 seats are in the 1st row, 27 seats
on the 2nd row, 29 seats on the 3rd row, and so on. If the price per ticket is
P2,300, how much will be the total sales for a one-night concert if all seats are
taken?
Geometric Series
A geometric series is the indicated sum of a geometric sequence. The sum of
the first n terms of a geometric series is given by
(r ¿¿ n−1)
Sn=a1 ¿ ; r≠1
r−1
where: n tells the number of terms, a1 is the first term of the sequence

Example 1. Find the sum of the first 10 terms of -5 + 10 + (-20) + 40 + ...

-5, 10, -20, 40, _-80___ r = 10 / -5 = -2

−5((−2)10−1)
Solution : S10=
−2−1

(−5 ) (−2 )10−(−5)

S10=
(−2)−1
(−5 ) (1 024)+5
S10=
−3
−5 115
S10=
−3
S10=1 705

Example 2. Find the sum of the first 9 terms of 5 + 10 + 20 + 40 + ...

Solution :

( 5 ) ( 2 )9−(5)
S9 =
2−1
( 5 ) (512)−(5)
S9 =
1
S9 =2555
 Activity 6 25 pts
Patterns in Mathematics (Geometric Series)

I. Find the sum of the following series: 3 pts per number ( 15 pts)
1. 1, 2, 4, 8, … (12th)

2. 3, 6, 12, 24,… (8th)

3. 512, 256, 128… (6th)

4. 12, 18, 27, … (9th)

5. 2, 10, 50, … (6th)

II. Solve the following. 10 PTS

1. You have won a contest sponsored by a local radio station. If you are given the
choice of the two payment plans listed below, which plan will pay you more? How much
more?
a) ₱10.00 on the first day, ₱20.00 on the second day, ₱30.00 on the third day, etc., for
two months.

b) ₱10.00 on the first day, ₱20.00 on the second day, ₱40.00 on the third day, etc. for
two weeks.

2. A culture of bacteria doubles every two hours. If there are 500 bacteria at the
beginning, how many bacteria will there be after 24 hours?

b. How much sugar does he use for cookies in a six-month period (half a year)?
Note: change the problem