Spatial Reasoning: Matrices Flashcards

A 3×3 matrix has circles in row 1 (small, medium, large), triangles in row 2 (small, medium, large), and squares in row 3 (small, medium, ?). What completes the matrix?

Answer: Large square

Each row contains small, medium, and large versions of one shape, so row 3 ends with a large square.

In a matrix, column 1 has 1 dot, column 2 has 2 dots, and column 3 has 3 dots in every row. The bottom-right cell is missing. Row 3 already shows 3 dots and 6 dots in the first two cells. What belongs in the missing cell?

Answer: 9 dots

Each row multiplies the column number by 3, so the bottom-right cell is 3×3 = 9 dots.

A 3×3 matrix shows shapes rotating 45° clockwise from left to right in every row. The top-left is an upward-pointing arrow. Which answer shows the correct top-right cell?

Answer: Arrow pointing down-right

Two 45° clockwise rotations from up-pointing gives a down-right (southeast) pointing arrow.

In a 3×3 matrix, shading fills 1/4 of each shape in row 1, 1/2 in row 2, and 3/4 in row 3. The bottom-right cell shows a circle with ? shading.

Answer: 3/4 shaded

Row 3 consistently has 3/4 shading regardless of column, so the missing cell is 3/4 shaded.

A matrix has these values: [8, 4, 2 / 6, 3, 1.5 / 10, 5, ?]. What is the missing value?

Answer: 2.5

Each row halves from left to right: 10÷2=5, 5÷2=2.5.

In a 3×3 matrix, the number of sides of each shape increases by 1 going down each column (triangle, square, pentagon). Going across each row, the shapes are filled, outlined, then striped. The center cell (square, striped) is shown. What is the bottom-right cell?

Answer: Pentagon, striped

Bottom row = pentagon (5 sides), right column = striped, so bottom-right is a striped pentagon.

A 3×3 matrix shows the total number of small symbols inside each cell: [1,2,3 / 2,4,6 / 3,6,?]. What is the missing value?

Answer: 9

Each cell equals its row number multiplied by its column number: row 3 × col 3 = 9.