Name _________________________________ Date_____________

Recursive Sequences Student Activity Sheet

Empire State Building Floor Height Sequence Example 1

Use the chart below to answer the questions that follow.

Floor Number Basement (0) 1 2 3 4 … 10 … … 25

Height (ft) -4 9 22 35 … … 217 …

1. How high up is the 4th floor?

2. How do you know?

3. Insert a number in the space after the 4th floor. How high up is that
floor you inserted?

4. How did you arrive at the answer?

5. Fill in the rest of the table using your method.

6. Use the space below to record the process for using the TI-83
calculator to help find the next number in a recursive sequence.
Name _________________________________ Date_____________
Recursive Sequences Student Activity Sheet
Recursive Toothpick Patterns Example 2

Step 1

Make Figures 1-3 of the pattern as shown. How many toothpicks does it take to
reproduce each figure? How many toothpicks lie on the perimeter of each
figure?

Step 2

Continue the table with enough rows for six figures of the pattern. Make Figures
4-6 from toothpicks by adding triangles in a row and complete the table.

Number of toothpicks Perimeter

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6

What is the rule for finding the number of toothpicks in each figure? What is the
rule for finding the perimeter? Use your calculator to create recursive routines for
these rules. Check that these routines generate the numbers in your table.

Now make figure 10 from toothpicks. Count the number of toothpicks and find the
perimeter. Does your calculator routine give the same answers? Find the
number of toothpicks needed and the perimeter of Figure 25.
Name _________________________________ Date_____________
Recursive Sequences Student Activity Sheet
Now you try on your own:

Find the missing values in each sequence.

a. 7, 12, 17, ____, 27, ____, ____, 42, ____, 52

b. 5, 1, -3, ____, -11, -15, ____, ____, -27

c. -7, ____, -29, ____, -51, -62, ____, -84

d. 2, -4, 8, -16, 32, ____, 128, -256, ____, ____

Homework: Practice your skills pages 202-203

#3 – 6 all