SOLUTION: A 4-square train is made with 13 toothpicks. A train is made with 400 toothpicks. How many squares are in the train? a. 400 squares b. 300 squares c. 133 squares d. 130 squar

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Question 327637: A 4-square train is made with 13 toothpicks. A train is made with 400 toothpicks. How many squares are in the train?
a. 400 squares
b. 300 squares
c. 133 squares
d. 130 squares
e. 100 squares

Answer by Edwin McCravy(20056)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!

Here is the 4-square train made with 13 toothpicks.



Notice that after the first toothpick, the green one below,



You place 3 more (red) toothpicks to form the first square.



Then you place 3 more red toothpicks to form the second square,



So after the first (green) toothpick, no matter how many squares
you have made, it always takes 3 more (red) toothpicks to make the 
next square

So the sum is 

toothpicks

If we have made n squares, we have added 3 a total of n times, so




Subtract 1 from both sides:



Divide by 3:



So we have mnade 133 squares, choice c. 

Edwin


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