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5 votes
Find the nth term in the sequence
-6,-3,0,3,6

User PlayDough
by
7.0k points

2 Answers

2 votes
First, determine what type of sequence the set of numbers make up. Through simple logic, it is an arithmetic sequence, because one can see by inspection that there is a common difference of 3 (positive 3, just to be a bit more pedantic).

We then use the formula,
t_(n) = a + (n - 1)d
where
t_(n)
represents the
n^(th) term; a represents the starting term (so the first number in the set of numbers, which in this case is -6); n is the term number (1st, 2nd, 3rd term, etc.); d is the common difference, that is, when you subtract the next term to the previous term – what is that numerical value.

To elaborate a bit more, your 1st term is -6, 2nd is -3, 3rd is 0, etc.

Also, the formula above is something you just learn, unless you learn to proof this formula, which is something different.

So, here,
t_(n) = -6 + (n-1)3, which can be expanded to:

t_(n) = -6 + 3n-3
Therefore,
t_(n) = 3n - 9
User Ben Kuhn
by
6.6k points
6 votes

Answer:

3n-9

Explanation:

NO NEED TO EXPLAIN ENJOY :)

User Tamer Shlash
by
6.8k points