The formula for determining the nth term of an arithmetic sequence is expressed as
f(n) = f(1) + (n - 1)d
Where
f(1) represents the first term
d represents the common difference
n represents the number of terms
From the information given,
f(1) = 16
d = 48 - 16 = 80 - 48 = 32
a) The first term of the sequence is 16
b) the common difference is 32
c) The explicit is
f(n) = 16 + 32(n - 1)
d) To find the distance the stone travels in the 5th second, it means that n = 5
Thus
f(5) = 16 + 32(5 - 1)
f(5) = 16 + 32 * 4
f(5) = 144
the distance the stone travels in the 5th second is 144 feet