What are number patterns?

Number patterns are made by adding the same

number to the previous answer to get the next answer.
Counting in 2’s, 3’s and 5’s is a number pattern because we keep adding 2, 3 and 5.

We can also start at any other number and count on in 2’s, 3’s and 5’s

Example: 7 10 13 16 19…
We can see that we are counting in 3’s because we add 3 to 7 to get to 10, then we add 3
to 10 to get to 13 and so on. Our pattern rule is that we add 3 to the previous number to
get the next number.

1. Can you figure out what is being added to make each of these number patterns?
Write it down next to the pattern.

a. 3 5 7 9 11...

b. 8 11 14 17 20...

c. 12 17 22 27 32...

d. 9 16 23 30 37...

e. 21 23 25 27 29...

We can also make number patterns by counting backwards. We do this by subtracting the
same number from the previous number in the pattern to get the next number.

Example: 50 46 42 38 34…

We can see that we are counting backwards in 4’s from 50. 50 minus 4 is 46, 46 minus
4 is 42 and so on. Our pattern rule is that we subtract 4 from the previous number to get
the next number.

2. Can you figure out what is being subtracted to make each of these number patterns?
Write it down next to the pattern.

a. 68 66 64 62 60...

b. 71 66 61 56 51...

c. 132 129 126 123 120...

d. 127 120 113 106 99...

e. 139 129 119 109 99...

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 What are number patterns?

We can make number patterns by multiplying by the same number each time.

Example: 2 4 8 16 32…

We can see that we have doubled the previous number to get the next number. In other
words, we multiplied the previous number by 2 to get the next number.

3. Can you figure out what is being multiplied to make each of these number patterns?
Write it down next to the pattern.

a. 3 6 12 24 48...

b. 2 6 18 54 162...

c. 1 5 25 125 625...

d. 1 10 100 1 000 10 000...

e. 3 12 48 192 768...

We can also make number patterns by dividing by the same number each time.

Example: 1 000 500 250 125…

We can see that we have halved the previous number to get the next number. In other
words, we divided the previous number by 2 to get to the next number.

4. Can you figure out what is being divided by to make each of these number patterns?
Write it down next to the pattern.

a. 64 32 16 8 4...

b. 972 324 108 36 12...

c. 6 250 1 250 250 50 10...

d. 288 144 72 36 18...

e. 567 189 63 21 7...

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 What are number patterns?

5. For each of the number patterns below say if they are made by adding the same
number, subtracting the same number, multiplying by the same number, or dividing
by the same number. Say what the number is.

Example: Fill it in by saying adding by 3.

a. 12 15 18 21... by

b. 146 140 134 128... by

c. 9 18 36 72... by

d. 135 45 15 5... by

e. 80 72 64 56... by

f. 2 10 50 250... by

g. 152 76 38 19... by

h. 149 156 163 170... by

i. 125 25 5 1... by

j. 53 50 47 44... by

k. 13 22 31 40... by

l. 7 14 28 56... by

What have we learnt?

We can make patterns by adding, , multiplying or
by the same number.

When a number pattern grows, we know that we are either

or by the same number.

When a number pattern shrinks, we know that we are either

or by the same number.

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Memo
What are number patterns?

1. Can you figure out what is being added to make each of these number patterns?
Write it down next to the pattern.

a. 3 5 7 9 11... add 2

b. 8 11 14 17 20... add 3

c. 12 17 22 27 32... add 5

d. 9 16 23 30 37... add 7

e. 21 23 25 27 29... add 2

2. Can you figure out what is being subtracted to make each of these number patterns?
Write it down next to the pattern.

a. 68 66 64 62 60... subtract 2

b. 71 66 61 56 51... subtract 5

c. 132 129 126 123 120... subtract 3

d. 127 120 113 106 99... subtract 7

e. 139 129 119 109 99... subtract 10

3. Can you figure out what is being multiplied to make each of these number patterns?
Write it down next to the pattern.

a. 3 6 12 24 48... multiply by 2

b. 2 6 18 54 162... multiply by 3

c. 1 5 25 125 625... multiply by 5

d. 1 10 100 1 000 10 000... multiply by 10

e. 3 12 48 192 768... multiply by 4

4. Can you figure out what is being divided by to make each of these number patterns?
Write it down next to the pattern.

a. 64 32 16 8 4... divide by 2

b. 972 324 108 36 12... divide by 3

c. 6 250 1 250 250 50 10... divide by 5

d. 288 144 72 36 18... divide by 2

e. 567 189 63 21 7... divide by 3

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 What are number patterns? - Memo

5. For each of the number patterns below say if they are made by adding the same
number, subtracting the same number, multiplying by the same number, or dividing
by the same number. Say what the number is.

Example: Fill it in by saying adding by 3.

a. 12 15 18 21... adding by 3

b. 146 140 134 128... subtracting by 6

c. 9 18 36 72... multiplying by 2

d. 135 45 15 5... dividing by 3

e. 80 72 64 56... subtracting by 8

f. 2 10 50 250... multiplying by 5

g. 152 76 38 19... dividing by 2

h. 149 156 163 170... adding by 7

i. 125 25 5 1... dividing by 5

j. 53 50 47 44... subtracting by 3

k. 13 22 31 40... adding by 9

l. 7 14 28 56... multiplying by 2

What have we learnt?

We can make patterns by adding, subtracting , multiplying or dividing by the same
number.

When a number pattern grows, we know that we are either adding or multiplying by the
same number.

When a number pattern shrinks, we know that we are either subtracting or dividing by the
same number.

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