A paper is folded and cut as shown below. How will it appear when unfolded?

To determine how the paper will appear when unfolded, let us trace the folding and cutting process step-by-step in reverse order:

Step 1: Analyzing the folding sequence
1. A square paper is initially folded in half from right to left.
2. The folded paper (a vertical half-rectangle) is again folded in half from right to left, reducing it to a vertical strip equal to one-fourth (1/4) of the original paper width on the far left side.
3. Cuts are made in this final folded strip:

• A square cut in the center.
• A triangular cut at the top edge.
• A triangular cut at the bottom edge.

Step 2: Unfolding the first fold (to the right)
Unfolding the strip once to the right mirrors all features across the vertical crease line:

• The single center square cut creates 2 square cuts lined up horizontally in the middle.
• The top triangular cut mirrors horizontally, forming a total of 4 triangular cutouts along the top edge across the unfolded section.
• The bottom triangular cut also mirrors horizontally, forming a total of 4 triangular cutouts along the bottom edge.

Step 3: Unfolding the final fold (completely to the right)
Unfolding the remaining half of the paper completely to the right again mirrors all cuts across the central vertical line:

• The 2 middle square cuts double to form a total row of 4 square cuts horizontally across the center of the square.
• The triangular cuts along the top and bottom edges repeat across the full width, resulting in 4 triangular cuts at the top edge and 4 at the bottom edge.

Comparing this unfolded pattern with the given options, it exactly matches the pattern shown in Option 3:


Therefore, the correct answer is the option displaying 4 square cutouts across the middle and 4 triangular cutouts along both top and bottom edges.