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What is term a20 in the sequence an = an-1 + 12 when a1 = 9?

A. 225
B. 237
C. 249
D. 261

User Hoffm
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1 Answer

5 votes

Final answer:

To find the 20th term in the given arithmetic sequence, use the formula for the nth term. The answer is 237, calculated as the sum of the first term and 19 times the common difference.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student is asking for the 20th term (a20) of an arithmetic sequence where each term is 12 more than the previous term (an = an-1 + 12) and the first term (a1) is 9. To find the 20th term, we can use the formula for the nth term of an arithmetic sequence: an = a1 + (n-1)d, where d is the common difference between the terms, n is the term number, and a1 is the first term.

Substituting the given values into the formula gives us a20 = 9 + (20-1)×12 = 9 + 19×12 = 9 + 228 = 237. Therefore, option B is the correct answer, as the value of the 20th term in the sequence is 237.

User Bernd Ebertz
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