Final answer:
The pattern for the first difference in the sequence 2, 5, 10, 17, 26... is obtained by subtracting each number from the next. The differences form the sequence 3, 5, 7, 9..., which corresponds to option b).
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking for the pattern of the first difference in a sequence of numbers. To find the first difference, we subtract each number from the one that follows it in the list.
Starting with the given sequence: 2, 5, 10, 17, 26...
- 5 - 2 = 3
- 10 - 5 = 5
- 17 - 10 = 7
- 26 - 17 = 9
The first differences are 3, 5, 7, 9...
Looking at the choices provided, the correct pattern for the first difference is option b) 3, 5, 7, 9, 11...