Page 183 - ICSE Math 4

P
14 Patternsatterns

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to learn:
 about growing and reducing patterns.
 to identify the rules to extend a growing or reducing pattern in shapes and numbers.

Pa erns are the arrangements or series of diff erent or same shapes, numbers, designs or
le ers that repeat in a par cular sequence according to a rule or a set of rules. A pa ern

can be either long or short.
In everyday life, we see a number of pa erns on things around us. For example,

we observe diff erent pa erns on dresses, les, doors, walls and bedsheets.
To understand the basic concept of forming pa erns, let’s look at the design
that is carved on a piece of wood. This can be dipped in diff erent colours
and stamped on cloth to make a design. Similar designs can be arranged in

diff erent ways to form a pa ern.
Let’s learn more about pa erns in this chapter.

Repeating Patterns

A repea ng pa ern is made by repea ng a unit of the pa ern. This unit is called a unit of
repeat. In a repea ng pa ern, the unit of repeat is fi xed and never changes.

Example 1: Look at the following arrangements and iden fy whether they form a
repea ng pa ern or not.

(a)

(b) 2 4 6 8 2 6 8 4 6 8 2

(c) A A B B C C A A B B C C A A B B C C
Solu on: (a) In the given arrangement, the unit of repeat is a triangle followed by a

circle which is then followed by an inverted triangle. Hence, it forms a
repea ng pa ern.
(b) Since the given series of numbers does not have a unit of repeat, it is not
a repea ng pa ern.

(c) In the given arrangement, the le ers A A B B C C is repeated. Hence, it
forms a repea ng pa ern.

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