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4 votes
16,8,4,2,1 find the next two terms

User HourGlass
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2 Answers

4 votes

The next two terms are: 1/2 and 1/4

note: in decimal form, 1/2 = 0.5 and 1/4 = 0.25

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Step-by-step explanation:

This sequence is geometric with the common ratio r = 1/2 = 0.5

Multiply each term by 1/2 to get the next

16 times 1/2 = 16 times 0.5 = 8

8 times 1/2 = 8 times 0.5 = 4

4 times 1/2 = 4 times 0.5 = 2

2 times 1/2 = 2 times 0.5 = 1

1 times 1/2 = 1/2 = 0.5

1/2 times 1/2 = 1/4 = 0.25

So that's how we end up with 1/2 = 0.5 and 1/4 = 0.25 as the next two terms.

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As a shortcut, you can use the nth term formula

an = 16*(1/2)^(n-1)

and plug in n = 6 and n = 7 to generate the next two terms a6 and a7. You should get 1/2 and 1/4 as your results.

User Gpol
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5.3k points
2 votes
the next terms are 1/2 and 1/4. you divide by two next each.
User Tommy
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