1. Calculator Tricks 5 By Brian Carruthers
HERE’S ANOTHER TEASER FOR YOUR STUDENTS. HOPE THEY HAVE FUN.
REGARDS, BRIAN.

2. The 421 Loop Pick a whole number and enter it into your calculator.
If it is even, divide by 2.
If it is odd, multiply by 3 and add 1.
Repeat the process with the new number over and over.

3. What happens?

4. The sequence always ends in the “loop”
4…2…1…4…2…1…

5. For Example: Let’s Start with 13
13 is odd, so we multiply by 3 and add 1.
We get 40. (13 x 3 = = 40)
40 is even, so we divide by 2 . We get 20. (40 / 2 = 20)

6. 20 is even, so we divide by 2 and get 10.
10 is also even, so we divide by 2 again and get 5.

7. 5 is odd so we multiply by 3 and add 1.
We get 16.
16 is even, so we divide by 2 and get 8.
8 is also even, so we divide by 2 again and get 4.

8. 4 is even, so we divide by 2. We get 2.
2 is even, so we divide by 1 and get 1.
1 is odd, so we multiply by 3 and add 1.
We get 4.
4 is even , so we divide by 2.
We get 2.
2 is even, so we divide by 1.
We get 1.

9. And so we begin the loop
4…2…1…4…2…1…

10. Now what did you think
of that?