Question

If the third and fourth term of an arithmetic sequence are -1 and -4, what are the first and second terms?

Answer 1

Answer: 5 and 2

Explanation:

In an arithmetic sequence, the difference between consecutive terms is constant. Since the third and fourth terms are -1 and -4, the common difference is -4 - (-1) = -3. Therefore, the second term is -1 - (-3) = 2 and the first term is 2 - (-3) = 5. So the first and second terms of the sequence are 5 and 2 respectively.