Grade 4 Number Patterns

Spotting a rule is only half of it. Each of these then asks you to run the rule forwards to a term far past the ones shown, or backwards from a total.

What this problem type covers

Fifteen problem types across five levels: a rule linking three numbers in a box, a growing line of calculations, a number table read up and to the left, two jumps taken in turn, adding a series by pairing its ends, halving paper repeatedly, a stack whose increase itself grows, matchstick shapes sharing sides, five calendar numbers in a shape, counting the digit pairs that satisfy an equation, a place in a triangular arrangement, a place across a run of cards, the digits of a long product, black stones counted from the white ones in a triangular arrangement, and a starred cell on a spiralling numbered board.

Example problems

One example from each difficulty band, with worked solutions.

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  1. 1 · ★1
    Find the rule and work out the missing number.
    • 18 | 10 → 19
    • 19 | 9 → 19
    • 58 | 13 → 26
    • 30 | 14 → 17
    If the two numbers above are 42 and 11, what goes below?
    • 13
    • 17
    • 53
    • 44
    • 18
    Show solution
    17
    1. Compare the number below with the two above it.
    2. The digits of 42 add to 6.
    3. Adding that to 11 gives the number below.
    4. So the answer is 17.
  2. 2 · ★2
    Part of a number table. Find the rule and give the number 1 up and 1 left of the top-left entry.
    • 46,284 46,294 46,304 46,314
    • 47,284 47,294 47,304 47,314
    • 48,284 48,294 48,304 48,314
    • 45,274
    • 45,284
    • 46,284
    • 45,294
    • 47,274
    Show solution
    45,274
    1. See how much the table gains going right and going down.
    2. Down is 1,000 a step, right is 10 a step.
    3. Going up subtracts, and so does going left.
    4. The number is 45,274.
  3. 3 · ★3
    A sheet is cut in half, the pieces are stacked and cut in half again, and so on. After 8 cuts, how many pieces are there?
    • 16
    • 258
    • 512
    • 128
    • 256
    Show solution
    256
    1. Each cut doubles the number of pieces.
    2. One cut gives 2, two cuts give 4.
    3. 8 cuts multiply by 2 that many times.
    4. That is 256 pieces.
  4. 4 · ★4
    How many pairs of digits from 1 to 9 satisfy this?
    30 − A = 23 − B
    • 3
    • 1
    • 4
    • 7
    • 2
    Show solution
    2
    1. Set the two sides equal and compare.
    2. The left is 7 more, so A must be 7 more than B.
    3. Count every such pair from 1 to 9.
    4. There are 2.
  5. 5 · ★5
    Stones are laid out by a rule. When 29 white stones have been placed, how many black ones are there?
    stone pattern
    • 169
    • 29
    • 91
    • 104
    • 13
    Show solution
    91
    1. The white stones are the bottom row and the first stone of every other row.
    2. So step n has (n+1)+(n+2) white stones, and that count gives n = 13.
    3. The black stones go 1, then 1+2, then 1+2+3, and so on.
    4. Step 13 therefore has 1+2+…+13 = 91 black stones.

Where people usually go wrong

  • Adding the two numbers above instead of using the digit sum of one of them.
  • Taking an alternating pattern as a single repeated jump.
  • Halving after multiplying the pair total by the wrong count.
  • Treating a growing increase as a constant one.
  • Charging a full set of matchsticks for every shape; joined shapes share a side.
  • Answering with the middle calendar number when the smallest was asked for.

Practice these in your own notebook

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