Prove that the square of an odd number is always 1 more than a multiple of 4

In order to prove this we can write a general expression of an odd number in terms of n, e.g - 2n+1Square this 'odd number': (2n+1)^2, therefore you can write it as (2n+1)(2n+1), then expand (multiply out) the brackets to get: 4n^2 + 4n + 1We can then factorise this to get: 4(n^2 + 1) + 1 which is 'one more than a multiple of 4' as 4(n^2 + 1) will always be a multiple of 4 regardless of what n is.

BH
Answered by Ben H. Maths tutor

3215 Views

See similar Maths GCSE tutors

Related Maths GCSE answers

All answers ▸

Find the equation of the line perpendicular to y=2x-1 that passes through (2,0)


Rearrange, 5(a + b)= 2ab , to make 'a' the subject


Solve 7x-4=8+5x


Given that x^2+10x+3 can be written in the form (x+a)^2+b, find the values of a and b.


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning