84.5k views
4 votes
Given the sequence 2, -88, -178, -268, -358 Determine its nᵗʰ term

User Joshmmo
by
8.2k points

1 Answer

1 vote

Final answer:

The nᵗʰ term of the arithmetic sequence 2, -88, -178, -268, -358 is given by the formula 92 - 90n.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the nᵗʰ term of a given sequence, we need to find a pattern that can represent any term in the sequence based on its position, denoted as n. The sequence provided is 2, -88, -178, -268, -358. We notice that from one term to the next, we are subtracting 90. Thus, the sequence appears to be an arithmetic sequence with a common difference of -90. The first term a1 is 2.

To find the nᵗʰ term of an arithmetic sequence, we use the formula:

an = a1 + (n - 1) * d,

where:

  • an is the nᵗʰ term,
  • a1 is the first term,
  • n is the term number,
  • d is the common difference.

Applying the formula to our sequence:

an = 2 + (n - 1) * (-90)

= 2 - 90n + 90

= 92 - 90n

Therefore, the nᵗʰ term of this sequence is 92 - 90n.

User David Hoelzer
by
8.6k points