NCERT Class 6 Mathematics Textbook for Blind Students made Screen Readable by Professor T K Bansal.

Anita and Sarita have become quite interested in matchstick patterns. They now want to try a pattern of the letter C. To make one C, they use three matchsticks as shown in Fig. 11.2(a).

Figure 11.2

Table 2 gives the number of matchsticks required to make a pattern of C’s.

Table 2

Can you complete the entries left blank in the table?

Sarita comes up with the rule :

Number of matchsticks required = 3n

She has used the letter n for the number of C’s; n is a variable taking on values 1, 2, 3, 4, .. .

Do you agree with Sarita ?

Remember 3n is the same as 3 × n.

Next, Anita and Sarita wish to make a pattern of F’s. They make one F using 4 matchsticks as shown in Fig 11.3(a).

Fig. 11.3

Can you now write the rule for making patterns of F’s?

Think of other letters of the English Alphabet and other shapes that can be made from matchsticks. For example, U, V, triangle, square, etc. Choose any five shapes, and write the rules for making matchstick patterns for them.