Sequences

Activities

Missing Terms
Activity
Can you work out which numbers are missing from these number sequences?

Matchstick Patterns
Activity
Create a formula to describe the nth term of a sequence by examining the structure of the diagrams.

Watsadoo
Activity
Rotate the cogs to catch the flying numbers in the correct sections.

Cat Apult
Activity
Use the catapult to fire the cats onto the shelves according to the number sequence instructions.

Interest
Activity
Practise using the formulas for simple interest and compound interest.

Arithmetic Sequences
Activity
An exercise on linear sequences including finding an expression for the nth term and the sum of n terms.

Geometric Sequences
Activity
An exercise on geometric sequences including finding the nth term and the sum of any number of terms.

Quick Add 'Em Quiz
Activity
Find the sum of a sequence of consecutive numbers using a quick, efficient, elegant method.

Tower of Hanoi
Activity
Move the pieces of the tower from one place to another in the minimum number of moves.

Pascal's Triangle
Activity
Get to know this famous number pattern with some revealing learning activities

Fibonacci Quest
Activity
A number of self marking quizzes based on the fascinating Fibonacci Sequence.

Venn Diagram of Sequences
Activity
Find the formula for the nth term of sequences that belong in the given sets.

Iteration
Activity
Find approximate solutions to equations numerically using iteration.

Quadratic and Cubic Sequences
Activity
Deduce expressions to calculate the nth term of quadratic and cubic sequences.

Sequences Table Challenge
Activity
Complete the table showing the terms of the sequences and the formulas for the nth terms.

Parts of Sequences
Activity
Find the formula that describes the part of the sequence that can be seen

Sigma
Activity
Practise using the sigma notation to find the sum of various number series.

Investigations

Steps
Activity
Investigate the numbers associated with this growing sequence of steps made from Multilink cubes.

Four Ever
Activity
Generate a number sequence based on the number of letters needed to spell the previous number.

Mystic Rose
Activity
Investigate the properties of the Mystic Rose by using this interactive diagram.

Aunt Lucy's Legacy
Activity
Decide which of the four schemes Aunt Lucy proposes will provide the most money. This investigation involves the sum of sequences as well as considering life expectancy.

Tower of Hanoi
Activity
Move the pieces of the tower from one place to another in the minimum number of moves.

Videos

This is the main Transum help video on Sequences.

Arithmetic Sequences Video
Activity
A reminder of how to find the next term, the nth term and the sum of terms of an arithmetic or linear sequence.

4.3 Billion Dollars
Activity
Short Futurama clip: Fry's reaction to becoming a billionaire!

Geometric Sequences Video
Activity
Revise all you need to know about geometric sequences and series.

The magic of Fibonacci numbers
Activity
Arthur Benjamin gives a TED talk on Fibonacci numbers.

Nature By Numbers
Activity
Cristóbal Vila created this short animated film that deals with geometric formulas that appear in nature such as the Fibonacci Sequence.

Log Tables
Activity
Logarithms and log tables - what Transum used before calculators! A Numberphile video.

Visual Aids

Counter
Activity
A dynamic visual aid that counts! Choose the first term, common difference and the speed

Sequence Generator
Activity
An online app which produces number sequences as words.

Mystic Rose
Activity
Investigate the properties of the Mystic Rose by using this interactive diagram.

Starters

Starter
Add 'em
Add up a sequence of consecutive numbers. Can you find a quick way to do it?

Starter
House Numbers
The numbers on five houses next to each other add up to 70. What are those five numbers?

Starter
Missing Terms
Find the missing terms from these linear sequences.

Starter
One one
Continue the given number pattern with the help of a little lateral thinking.

Starter
Sea Shells
A question which can be best answered by using algebra.

Starter
Sequence Dancing
Find the next term of the number sequences.

Starter
Sign Sequences
Continue the sequences if you can work out the rule.

Starter
Spider Sequences
Find the next term of the given number sequences. Can you also find a general rule for predicting the nth term of the sequence?

Starter
To Be Continued
Work out the next term in the given sequences.

Starter
Windmill Sequence
Find the value of the missing term of the sequence. It is easier than you may think!

38 items are currently in this category.

Teachers might find the complete Sequences Topic List useful.

A pattern of numbers following a rule is called a sequence. There are many different types of sequence and this topic introduces pupils to some of them.

The most basic sequences of numbers is formed by adding a constant to a term to get the next term of the sequence. This rule can be expressed as a linear equation and the terms of the sequence when plotted as a series of coordinates forms a straight line. More complex sequences are investigated where the rule is not a linear function. Other well-known sequences includes the Fibonacci sequence where the rule for obtaining the next term depends on the previous two terms.

Sequences can be derived from shapes and patterns. A growing patterns of squares or triangles formed from toothpicks is often used to show linear sequences in a very practical way. Diagrams representing sequences provides interesting display material for the classroom.

Typically pupils are challenged to find the next term of a given sequence but a deeper understanding is needed to find intermediate terms, 100th term or the nth term of a sequence.


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