You will have noticed that 36 is both a triangular number and a square number! That is, 36 dots can be arranged perfectly both in a triangle and a square. Make pictures in your notebook illustrating this!
This shows that the same number can be represented differently and play different roles, depending on the context. Try representing some other numbers pictorially in different ways!

Question

Bright Tutorials · Accepted Answer

It’s fascinating that 36 can be both a triangular number and a square number! Let’s explore this by visualizing how 36 dots can be arranged in both shapes and then represent other numbers in different ways:
Other numbers that can be represented pictorially in different ways are: 9
9 as both a square and a cross:

Patterns in Mathematics — Question 7