Final answer:
The pattern in the given sequence is an alternation of positive and negative differences. By observing the differences between consecutive terms, we can find the next two terms.
Step-by-step explanation:
The given sequence is -16, 8, -4, 2...
To find the pattern and the next two terms, we need to look for the difference between consecutive terms. Let's calculate the difference between each pair of terms:
- 8 - (-16) = 24
- -4 - 8 = -12
- 2 - (-4) = 6
Now, we can observe that the differences alternate between positive and negative values. Specifically, the differences are positive, negative, positive, and so on. Therefore, the pattern can be described as follows: Starting with a negative value (-16), the next term is obtained by adding a positive difference (24) to the previous term, and then the subsequent term is obtained by subtracting a negative difference (12) from the previous term.
Applying this pattern, we can find the next term and the term after that: