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Determine whether the sequence is arithmetic, geometric, or neither: 20,17,14,11

User Derkyjadex
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Answer: Arithmetic

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Step-by-step explanation:

Add -3 to each term to get the next term. This is the same as subtracting 3 from each term. In this case, the common difference is d = -3.

The first term is a = 20

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The nth term formula for the arithmetic sequence is

a(n) = a+d(n-1)

a(n) = 20+(-3)(n-1)

a(n) = 20-3n+3

a(n) = -3n+23

If we plug in n = 1, we would get a(n) = 20. Plug in n = 2 to get a(n) = 17. And so on. This helps confirm we have the correct nth term formula.

User EkoostikMartin
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