Final answer:
An arithmetic sequence is defined by the presence of a common difference between consecutive terms. The common difference can be any real number and is used to generate each new term in the series. Option B) Sequence with a common difference correctly defines an arithmetic sequence.
Step-by-step explanation:
An arithmetic sequence is a sequence of numbers in which each term after the first is found by adding a constant number, called the common difference, to the previous term. This common difference can be positive, negative, or zero. To identify an arithmetic sequence from the given options, we should look for a characteristic pattern where every term is created by adding or subtracting the same value. Thus, the correct answer to what defines an arithmetic sequence is:
B) Sequence with a common difference
For example, in the sequence 2, 5, 8, 11, ..., each term after the first is obtained by adding 3 to the preceding term, which means the common difference is 3. It is important to note that every arithmetic sequence has this property, making the identification of the common difference crucial for understanding the sequence's behavior.