Square Pattern Sequence: Finding the 36-Square Element

Square Pattern Sequences with Perfect Squares

The following is a sequence of structures formed by squares with side lengths of 1 cm.

In which element of the sequence are there 36 squares?

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Step-by-step video solution

Watch the teacher solve the problem with clear explanations
00:00 Will there be a term with 36 squares? If so, at which position?
00:04 Let's count the squares in each term
00:21 We can see that the number of squares equals the term's position squared
00:31 Therefore we can conclude this is the sequence formula
00:39 We want to find if there's a term with 36 squares
00:43 Let's substitute in the formula and solve for N
00:48 We'll take the square root to isolate N
00:54 N must be positive, there's no negative position in the sequence
01:00 And that's the solution to the question

Step-by-step written solution

Follow each step carefully to understand the complete solution
1

Understand the problem

The following is a sequence of structures formed by squares with side lengths of 1 cm.

In which element of the sequence are there 36 squares?

2

Step-by-step solution

To solve this problem, we need to identify in which element a sequence contains exactly 36 squares. If we look closely at the sequence, we notice a structure where each element forms a square with increasing dimensions.

Let's deduce a pattern:

  • The 1st element is a 1×1 1 \times 1 square.
  • The 2nd element forms a 2×2 2 \times 2 square, consisting of 4 squares.
  • The 3rd element forms a 3×3 3 \times 3 square, consisting of 9 squares.
  • The 4th element forms a 4×4 4 \times 4 square, consisting of 16 squares.
  • The 5th element forms a 5×5 5 \times 5 square, consisting of 25 squares.
  • Generalizing this, the n n -th element forms an n×n n \times n square with n2 n^2 squares.

We are seeking for n n where n2=36 n^2 = 36 . Solving for n n , we have:

n2=36 n^2 = 36

n=36 n = \sqrt{36}

n=6 n = 6

Thus, the 6th element in the sequence is the one that contains 36 squares.

Therefore, the correct answer is 6 6 .

3

Final Answer

6 6

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic
  • Pattern Rule: Each element n forms an n×n square with n² total squares
  • Technique: For 36 squares, solve n² = 36, so n = √36 = 6
  • Check: Element 6 has 6×6 = 36 squares, confirming our answer ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors
  • Counting individual squares instead of recognizing the pattern
    Don't try to count each small square in complex patterns = time-consuming and error-prone! This leads to miscounting and wrong answers. Always look for the overall n×n structure where element n has n² squares.

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

Is there a term-to-term rule for the sequence below?

18 , 22 , 26 , 30

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

How do I identify the pattern when the diagram looks confusing?

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Focus on the overall shape of each element! Element 1 is 1×1, element 2 is 2×2, element 3 is 3×3. Count the squares along one edge to find the dimensions.

What if I can't take the square root in my head?

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That's okay! You can work backwards by testing: 5² = 25 (too small), 6² = 36 (perfect!), 7² = 49 (too big). This confirms the answer is 6.

Why is the answer 6 and not 36?

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The question asks which element contains 36 squares, not how many squares there are. Element 6 is the position in the sequence that has 36 squares total.

How do I know this pattern continues the same way?

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Mathematical sequences follow consistent rules. Since elements 1, 2, and 3 follow the n² pattern, we can confidently extend this to all elements in the sequence.

What if the answer wasn't a perfect square?

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If n² doesn't equal a whole number, then no element in this sequence would have exactly that many squares. Perfect square patterns only work with perfect square totals!

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