A garden centre sells square slabs which can be used to surround ponds

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A garden centre sells square slabs which can be used to surround ponds.

Aim = To investigate how many slabs are needed to surround a square pond.

To investigate my aim I will need to use the formula for the perimeter of a square.

I have been told that a square pond with the dimensions of 1x1 needs 8 slabs, a square pond with the dimensions of 2x2 needs 12 and a square pond when the dimensions are 3x3 16 slabs are needed.

Knowing the answers to the first few sizes and also knowing that I will have to work out the perimeter of the pond.

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To work out the perimeter of a square the formula is 4n. Using this 4x1=4. I need 8 slabs so that it goes all the way around the pond. I need four more. That makes 8. I will try using the formula 4n+4 to see how many slabs are needed.

It works for a square when the sides are 2x2 and 3x3.

4x2 = 8.         8+4 = 12

4x3 = 12.        12+4 = 16

The amount of slabs are correct.

I predict that the next size, 4x4 will have 20 slabs as four multiplied by ...

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