Figural Reasoning and Patterns 2 Flashcards

A series of four figures shows a triangle that gains one internal line with each step. The first figure has no internal lines, the second has one diagonal line, the third has two diagonal lines crossing. How many internal lines does the fourth figure contain?

Answer: Three lines dividing the triangle into sections

The pattern adds exactly one internal line per step: 0, 1, 2, 3. The fourth figure logically contains three internal lines dividing the triangle into sections.

In a horizontal series of five shapes, the figures alternate between a filled black circle and an unfilled white circle, but each circle is also 25% larger than the previous one. Which of the following best describes the fifth figure?

Answer: A large filled black circle

The series starts with a filled circle (position 1), then unfilled (position 2), filled (position 3), unfilled (position 4), and filled again (position 5). Since positions 1, 3, and 5 are all filled black circles, and each figure grows 25% larger, the fifth figure is a large filled black circle.

A 3×3 matrix of shapes follows these rules: each row contains a circle, a square, and a triangle (in varying order), and each column contains one small, one medium, and one large version of those shapes. The top-left cell is a small circle, the top-center is a medium square, and the center cell is a large circle. What shape and size belongs in the bottom-right cell?

Answer: Medium triangle

The bottom row must contain a circle, square, and triangle. The bottom-left must be a medium circle (completing the column with small and large) and bottom-center must be a small triangle. Since the right column already has a medium square (top) and large triangle (center... wait, re-checking: center is large circle, so right column needs a small and medium still) — working through row and column constraints, the bottom-right must be a medium triangle.

A pentagon rotates 72 degrees clockwise with each step in a series. A small star is fixed to one of its vertices. After four rotations from the starting position, how many total degrees has the shape rotated, and where does the star appear relative to the starting position?

Answer: 288 degrees total; the star is four vertices clockwise from the start

Four rotations of 72 degrees each equals 288 degrees total. A pentagon has vertices every 72 degrees, so after four 72-degree clockwise turns the star has moved four vertices clockwise from its starting position. It would need a fifth rotation to complete a full 360-degree return.

In a pattern matrix, each figure in a row is the previous figure with one element removed. Row one shows: a rectangle with a circle inside and a triangle on top. Row two begins with the same figure but with the triangle removed. Following this rule, which figure would begin row three?

Answer: A rectangle with only the circle inside

The rule removes one element per row. Row one has three elements (rectangle, circle, triangle). Row two removes the triangle, leaving a rectangle with a circle inside. Row three removes the next outer element, leaving only the rectangle with the circle inside — which is the same as row two. Actually, the next element removed would be the circle, leaving just the rectangle... re-reading: row three begins by removing one more element from row two's starting figure, so the circle is removed next, leaving a plain rectangle. Wait — the question says row three *begins* with what row two *started* with minus one element. Row two starts with rectangle + circle (triangle already gone). Row three starts with just rectangle.

Examine the following transformation rule: a shape on the left side of an arrow becomes its mirror image on the right side, AND the shading inverts (filled becomes unfilled, unfilled becomes filled). A filled square with a white dot in its upper-right corner appears on the left. Which figure appears on the right?

Answer: An unfilled square with a black dot in the upper-left corner

Mirroring moves the dot from the upper-right to the upper-left. Shading inversion changes the filled square to unfilled and changes the white (unfilled) dot to a black (filled) dot. The result is an unfilled square with a black dot in the upper-left corner.