147k views
1 vote
Given the sequence 4, -5.7, -15.4, -25.1, -34.8 Determine its nᵗʰ term

User Hangster
by
7.7k points

1 Answer

4 votes

Final answer:

The nᵗʰ term of the sequence can be found using the arithmetic sequence formula aₙ = a₁ + (n - 1)d, where a₁ = 4 and the common difference d = -9.7.

Step-by-step explanation:

By substituting into the formula, we obtain aₙ = 4 + (n - 1)(-9.7).

To determine the nᵗʰ term of a sequence, we first need to understand the pattern. We can calculate the differences between consecutive terms to identify if there's a common difference, which points towards an arithmetic sequence. By analyzing the given sequence 4, -5.7, -15.4, -25.1, -34.8, we observe that the difference between consecutive terms is approximately -9.7, indicating that the sequence is likely arithmetic.

To find the nᵗʰ term, known as aₙ, for an arithmetic sequence, we use the formula aₙ = a₁ + (n - 1)d, where a₁ is the first term and d is the common difference. For this sequence, a₁ = 4 and d = -9.7. Plugging these values into the formula gives us aₙ = 4 + (n - 1)(-9.7).

User Brandon Davis
by
8.2k points