Final answer:
A geometric sequence is a sequence of numbers where each term is obtained by multiplying the preceding term by a fixed, non-zero number called the common ratio. The common ratio is found by dividing any term by its preceding term.
Step-by-step explanation:
A geometric sequence is a sequence of numbers in which each term after the first is found by multiplying the preceding term by a fixed, non-zero number called the common ratio. For example, consider the sequence: 2, 6, 18, 54. The common ratio is 3 since each term is obtained by multiplying the previous term by 3.
Let's identify the common ratio of this example:
- First term: 2
- Second term: 6
- Third term: 18
- Fourth term: 54
To find the common ratio, we can divide any term by its preceding term. Dividing the second term (6) by the first term (2) gives us a result of 3. This means the common ratio is 3.