Final answer:
The nth term of the sequence -5, 2.2, 9.4, 16.6, 23.8 can be found using the arithmetic sequence formula an = a1 + (n - 1) * d. The nth term is an = 7.2n - 12.2.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the nth term of the given sequence -5, 2.2, 9.4, 16.6, 23.8, we first need to identify the pattern. We notice that each term is increasing by 7.2. This indicates that the sequence follows an arithmetic pattern, where the nth term, an, can be calculated using the formula: an = a1 + (n - 1) * d, where a1 is the first term and d is the common difference between the terms.
So, the nth term can be found using the formula:
nth term = first term + (n-1) * common difference
Using the formula, let's plug in values:
- a1 = -5 (first term of the sequence)
- d = 7.2 (the common difference)
Now, we can express the nth term as: an = -5 + (n - 1) * 7.2. This simplifies to an = 7.2n - 12.2.