It’s time to be a puzzle perfecter!
In these questions, we have been given a grid and we need to work out the missing puzzle piece.
The grid is sometimes called a matrix.
Grids can follow a horizontal pattern which goes across, a vertical pattern which goes up or down, or a diagonal pattern.
To find the missing puzzle piece, we first need to think about what the pattern might be.
Here are some example patterns and how they change in the grid:
Pattern | Example Grid |
Number of shapes in the image increases/decreases. | |
The shading changes. | |
Size of the image increases/decreases. | |
The image rotates. | |
Shapes within the symbol change position. | |
The number of sides of the shapes in the image changes. |
Take a look at this example:
Which of the following images would complete this grid?
a) b) c) d)
The pattern in this case is horizontal.
The pattern is that the number of sides of each shape increases by one each time. Also, the centre shape gets slightly larger each time. Therefore the answer is b.
It’s now your turn to find the missing puzzle piece in grids. Remember to decide if it is horizontal, vertical or diagonal, when working out what the pattern is.
Good luck puzzle champ!
Pssstt!! Here’s a handy hint to help you reach superstar status:
Always rule out any obviously incorrect answers.