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The second term of a sequence is 6, and the fourth term is 24. Of the following, which statement is true?

A) If the sequence is geometric, the first term could be 1.
B) If the sequence is arithmetic, the third term could be 12.
C) If the sequence is geometric, the fifth term could be 48.
D) If the sequence is arithmetic, the sixth term could be 48.

1 Answer

4 votes

The sequence is geometric, and the fifth term could be 48.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine which statement is true, we can analyze the given sequence. The second term is 6, and the fourth term is 24. To determine if the sequence is arithmetic or geometric, we need to analyze the difference or ratio between consecutive terms.

For an arithmetic sequence, the difference between consecutive terms is constant. In this case, the difference between the second and fourth terms is 24 - 6 = 18. Therefore, the sequence is not arithmetic.

For a geometric sequence, the ratio between consecutive terms is constant. In this case, the ratio between the second and fourth terms is 24/6 = 4. Therefore, the sequence is geometric.

Based on this information, we can determine which statements are true.

A) If the sequence is geometric, the first term could be 1. This statement is true, as any non-zero number can be the first term of a geometric sequence.

B) If the sequence is arithmetic, the third term could be 12. This statement is not true, as the sequence is geometric.

C) If the sequence is geometric, the fifth term could be 48. This statement is true, as the fifth term can be found by multiplying the fourth term (24) by the common ratio (4), resulting in 24*4 = 96.

D) If the sequence is arithmetic, the sixth term could be 48. This statement is not true, as the sequence is geometric.

Therefore, the correct statement is C) If the sequence is geometric, the fifth term could be 48.

User Morten Zilmer
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