Number Patterns

A number pattern is a list of numbers that follows a rule. Finding the rule lets you predict what comes next. Patterns are everywhere in math and help us see how numbers connect.

Finding the Rule

Look at this pattern: 2, 4, 6, 8. The rule is add 2 each time. The next number would be 10. Some patterns add, some subtract, some multiply, and some divide.

Here is another: 3, 6, 12, 24. The rule is multiply by 2. The next number is 48. Finding the rule is like solving a puzzle.

Patterns All Around

Patterns show up in real life too. House numbers on one side of a street might be 2, 4, 6, 8. Calendar dates are patterns. The seasons repeat in a pattern every year.

Scientists and mathematicians look for patterns to understand the world. When you find a pattern, you can make predictions about what will happen next.

Fun Facts

• The pattern 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13 is called the Fibonacci sequence, and it shows up in nature.
• Odd numbers follow a pattern: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and so on.
• Some patterns grow very fast. Doubling patterns go 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64.

Did You Know?

The pattern of prime numbers, like 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, has no simple rule. Mathematicians have been trying to find one for thousands of years!