Question

Find the common difference for the arithmetic sequence.-49, -42, -35, -28...

Answer 1

The set of numbers shown is a sequence, an arithmetic sequence. The common difference is the number which you must add to an existing term in order to get the next one. That means the common difference is what was added to -49 in order to arrive at -42. Lets calculate the common difference, d;

`\begin{gathered} -49+d=-42 \\ \text{Add 49 to both sides of the equation (so as to eliminate it from the left side} \\ -49+49+d=-42+49 \\ 0+d=49-42 \\ d=7 \end{gathered}`