Some problems have a pattern in them. To solve the problem, you need to recognize the pattern and read the directions carefully. Read over the example below.
Question: Dan is playing on a ladder. He takes four steps up and then 1 step back. The ladder has 19 rungs on it. How many times will Dan go up the ladder until he reaches the top?
Solution: The pattern is up 4, down 1, up 4, down 1 etc. To work this problem, start at 0, and follow the pattern.
Now count how many times he went up to reach the top. As you can see, the answer is six times.
Follow the pattern in the following problems to find the solutions.
| 1. Two men were digging a well. Each day they dug down 10 feet. Each night wild dogs would come by and push 2 feet of dirt back in. How many days did it take them to dig a 50 foot well? |
| 2. Tim was running up an escalator moving down. Every time he ran up 5 stairs, the escalator brought him down 1. How many extra stairs did he have to climb to get as high as 21 steps would be if the escalator were shut off? |
| 3. Emilio had his boat anchored 30 yards from shore while he lay on the beach. When he tried to swim back to his boat, the tide was coming in. Every time he swam 5 yards forward, the waves brought back 3 yards toward shore. How many yards does he have to swim to reach his boat? |
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