Name: ________________________________ Date: 11/28/2024

Number of pages: 7 Time allowed: 40 minutes

Instructions to candidates

• Fill in your name on the line above.

• Do not open this test paper until instructed to do so.
• Remember to show all working for all questions.
• You cannot use a calculator for this test.
• Answer all questions in the spaces provided.

Assessment criteria for this investigation

The student has attempted to: 1

• Attempt at least 3 questions
2
• Complete Q1 correctly
The student has successfully completed criteria above and has attempted to: 3
• Complete all level 1-2 tasks
• Complete Q2 correctly 4
Investigating patterns

• Complete Q3 correctly
The student has successfully completed criteria above and has:
Criterion B

5
• Complete all level 3-4 tasks
• Complete Q4 correctly
• Complete Q5 correctly 6
• Attempt Q 7 with a sound approach.
• Attempt Q8 with a sound approach
The student has successfully completed criteria above and has clearly: 7
• Complete all level 5-6 tasks
• Complete Q6 correctly
• Complete Q7 Correctly 8
• Attempt Q 8, 9 and 10 with a sound approach and some success.

Investigating patterns in fractions - Page 1|7

This investigation will be looking for patterns. Although this skill might be new to you, it is an integral part of
mathematics and we will build it up throughout MYP maths.

“Finding patterns is the essence of wisdom”

- Dennis Prager

A Sequence is a list of things (usually numbers) that are in order.

sequences usually follow a rule, for example to get the sequence above, we would + 3 each time.

Today you will be looking at sequences to find a pattern in numbers. Look at the sequence below, the numbers are
following a pattern us this pattern to find the missing values.

1 2 3 4 𝑥
, , , ,
2 2 2 2 2
Q1 – what is x?

1 1 1 1 1
, , , ,
2 4 8 16 𝑥
Q2 – what is x?

Investigating patterns in fractions - Page 2|7

 1 1 1 1 𝑥
, , , ,
4 8 12 16 𝑦

Q3 – What are x and y?

1 2 3 4 𝑥
, , , ,
3 6 9 12 𝑦

Q4 – What are x and y?

1 2 3 4 5 𝑥
, , , , ,
1 4 9 16 25 𝑦

Q5 – What are x and y?

Q6. Look at the sequence below. It is following a pattern.

Investigating patterns in fractions - Page 3|7

Q6a. Make a prediction for what the next fraction would be.

Note: Be careful with notation.

Q6b. Simplify all the fractions in the sequence above (including your prediction for the next fraction):

Note: do not use mixed numbers, leave your fractions as improper fractions if needed

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Q6c. Looking at the simplified fractions, can you create a rule for writing the next fraction in the pattern
based on the previous fraction?

Q7. Using the digits 0 through 9, without repeats, solve the problem below.

Note: make sure to show your thinking and approach to solving this.

Investigating patterns in fractions - Page 5|7

 𝟏
Q8. Unit fractions are fractions where the numerator is 1, e.g. 𝟓.

Egyptian fractions are a sum of unit fractions where all denominators are different.
1 1 1
For example: 2 can be represented by 3 + 6

Can you express each of these unit fractions as Egyptian fractions? There may be multiple ways.

𝟏
a) 𝟑 =

𝟏
b) 𝟒 =

𝟏
c) 𝟓 =

𝟏
d) 𝟔 =

Q9. Are there any numbers above that could be displayed in a different way that is still an Egyptian
fraction? Show these examples.

Investigating patterns in fractions - Page 6|7

Extension – Peaches Today, Peaches Tomorrow

A monkey has 75 peaches. Each day, he kept a fraction of his peaches, gave the rest away,
and then ate one.

These are the fractions that he decided to keep:

1 1 3 3 5 11
2 4 4 5 6 15

In what order did he use the fractions so that he was left with just one peach at the end?

Investigating patterns in fractions - Page 7|7