The Idea of a Variable

In the previous example, we created a rule to give the number of matchsticks required to make a pattern of Ls. The rule was :

Number of matchsticks required = 2n.

Here, n is the number of Ls in the pattern, and n takes values 1, 2, 3, 4,.... As the value of n goes on changing (increasing) , the number of matchsticks required also goes on changing (increasing). n is an example of a variable. Its value is not fixed; it can take any value 1, 2, 3, 4, ... . We wrote the rule for the number of matchsticks required using the variable n.

The 'n', here, is an example of a variableconstant.

Now, let us look at similar examples of matchstick patterns to learn more about variables.