Arithmetic Progression (Magnetic tiles) for School Maths Lab

Quick Answer: Arithmetic Progression (Magnetic tiles) for School Maths Lab is a set of magnetic tiles that students arrange into columns growing by a fixed amount, so the terms of an arithmetic progression can be built and seen. The arithmetic progression magnetic tiles hold on a magnetic board for whole-class work on the common difference, the nth term and the sum formula.

Seeing a Sequence Grow

An arithmetic progression is a list of numbers in which each term is obtained by adding the same number, the common difference, to the one before: 3, 5, 7, 9 has first term 3 and common difference 2. With tiles, each term becomes a column, and each column is taller than the last by the same number of tiles. Students can point to the tiles added at every step, which are the common difference, and count how many times it has been added to reach a given term, which leads to the nth term a + (n − 1)d.

The sum of the first n terms is where the tiles are most convincing. Build the columns as a staircase, then build a second, identical staircase and turn it upside down beside the first. Each pair of columns now has the same height, the first term plus the last, and there are n such pairs, so twice the sum equals n(a + l) and the sum equals n/2 (a + l). It is the pairing argument told in the story of the young Gauss adding the numbers from 1 to 100, made physical.

Being magnetic, the tiles hold on a vertical magnetic whiteboard, so the teacher can build a progression in front of the class and students can come up to extend it. The number, sizes and colours of the tiles, and whether a board is included, should be confirmed at the time of ordering.

Specifications

Applications

• Building terms of a progression and identifying the common difference
• Arriving at the nth term formula a + (n − 1)d by counting added tiles
• Proving the sum formula with two staircases placed together
• Whole-class demonstrations on a board, with students extending the pattern
• Comparing increasing and decreasing progressions

Care & Handling

• Stack the tiles flat in their box, away from phones, bank cards and electronic devices that magnets can affect.
• Avoid dropping magnetic tiles on hard floors, as magnets can chip or crack.
• Keep the set dry; damp storage can corrode exposed magnet material over time.

Why Choose LabEquip

Maths teachers preparing the progressions chapter, and schools equipping a maths lab for board-based demonstrations, are the usual buyers of this set. LabEquip lists it in the Mathematics School Lab Products range; share the class size and whether you need a board through the contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the common difference in an arithmetic progression?

It is the fixed amount added to each term to get the next, found by subtracting any term from the one after it. With tiles, it is the number of extra tiles each column has compared with the column before.

How do the tiles show the nth term formula?

The first column has a tiles. Each later column adds d tiles, so the nth column has had d added n − 1 times, giving a + (n − 1)d. Students can check the formula against the column they have just built.

How do the tiles prove the sum formula?

Build the progression as a staircase, make an identical copy and place it upside down against the first. Every pair of columns has the same height, a + l, and there are n pairs, so double the sum equals n(a + l) and the sum equals n/2 (a + l).

Why use magnetic tiles rather than ordinary ones?

Magnetic tiles stay in place on a vertical board, so a progression can be built at the front of the class where everyone can see it, and moved or extended without falling. Ordinary tiles work only flat on a desk.

Can the tiles show a decreasing progression?

Yes. Build the columns so each one is shorter than the last by the same number of tiles; the common difference is then negative. A progression such as 12, 9, 6, 3 still follows a + (n − 1)d, with d equal to −3.

Are magnetic tiles safe for school use?

Store them away from phones, cards and electronic devices, and keep small magnetic pieces away from young children, who could swallow them. For secondary classes working under supervision they are a practical board resource.

Last Updated: September 2026