Square Pattern Sequence: Predicting the 4th Element Count

Below is a sequence represented by squares. How many squares will there be in the 4th element?

To solve this problem, let's carefully determine the number of squares in each sequence element:

• Step 1: Identify the sequence pattern.
  Element 1: $1^2 = 1$ square.
  Element 2: $2^2 = 4$ squares.
  Element 3: $3^2 = 9$ squares.
• Step 2: Recognize the pattern as the sequence of perfect squares.
  For each element $n$, the number of squares is $n^2$.
• Step 3: Calculate the number of squares in the fourth element.
  Element 4: $4^2 = 16$ squares.

Thus, the fourth element in the sequence will have $16$ squares.