Question

A supermarket finds that the number of boxes of a new cereal sold increases each week. In the first week, only 26 boxes of the cereal were sold. In the next week, 57 boxes of the cereal were sold and in the third week 88 boxes of the cereal were sold. The number of boxes of cereal sold each week represents an arithmetic sequence. What is the explicit rule for the arithmetic sequence that defines the number of boxes of cereal sold in week n?

Answer 1

Answer: an = 31n - 5

Explanation:

Answer 2

aₙ = 31n - 5

Explanation:

The terms of your sequence are.

26, 57, 88, …

This is an arithmetic sequence, because there is a constant difference of 31 between consecutive terms.

The explicit formula for the nth term of an arithmetic sequence is

aₙ = a₁ + d(n - 1 )

a₁ is the first term, and d is the difference in value between consecutive terms. Thus,

aₙ = 26 + 31(n - 1) = 26 + 31n - 31

aₙ = 31n - 5

The explicit rule for the arithmetic sequence is aₙ = 31n - 5.