Additional practice questions

8.1. Sequences

Practice 1
1) Find the first five terms of these sequences (𝑛𝑛 ≥ 1).
a. 𝑢𝑢𝑛𝑛 = 5𝑛𝑛 − 2
b. 𝑢𝑢𝑛𝑛 = 2𝑛𝑛2 + 6
c. 𝑢𝑢𝑛𝑛 = 4𝑛𝑛 − 3𝑛𝑛 − 2𝑛𝑛

2) Determine whether 103 is a term of the sequence 𝑢𝑢𝑛𝑛 = 9𝑛𝑛 − 5, 𝑛𝑛 ≥ 1.

3) Determine whether 252 is a term of the sequence 𝑢𝑢𝑛𝑛 = 2𝑛𝑛2 + 8, 𝑛𝑛 ≥ 1.

4) Find the fiftieth term of the sequence 𝑢𝑢𝑛𝑛 = 4𝑛𝑛2 − 28𝑛𝑛, 𝑛𝑛 ≥ 1.

Practice 2
5) Find the first five terms of these sequences (𝑛𝑛 ≥ 1).
a. 𝑢𝑢𝑛𝑛+1 = 2𝑢𝑢𝑛𝑛 + 1, 𝑢𝑢1 = 4.
b. 𝑢𝑢𝑛𝑛+1 = 3𝑢𝑢𝑛𝑛 − 4, 𝑢𝑢1 = 3.
c. 𝑢𝑢𝑛𝑛+1 = 𝑢𝑢𝑛𝑛2 − 2𝑢𝑢𝑛𝑛 + 1, 𝑢𝑢1 = 0.

6) A sequence is given by 𝑢𝑢𝑛𝑛+1 = 𝑢𝑢𝑛𝑛 + 5, 𝑢𝑢1 = 3.

Determine which term of the sequence has value 83.

Practice 3
7) Find an expression for the nth term of each sequence.
a. 5, 7, 9, 11, …. b. 3, 7, 11, 15, … c. 2, 8, 14, 20, …

8) Find an expression for the nth term of each sequence.

a. 2, 10, 18, 26, … b. 7, 10, 13, 16, … c. 21, 30, 39, 48, …

9) Here is a sequence of triangles made from a number of toothpicks t.

Draw the next diagram in the sequence and write the values for n and t in a table.
How many toothpicks are in the nth term?

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10) Crosses are drawn on squared ‘dotty’ paper. The diagram number of the cross is
recorded together with the total number of dots d on each cross.

Find a formula connecting n and d. Write it as ‘d = … ’

Practice 4
11) A solicitor charges for legal advice. For 𝑡𝑡 ≥ 0.5, the cost, $𝐶𝐶, of advice is given by
𝐶𝐶 = 280𝑡𝑡 − 140, where 𝑡𝑡 is measured in hours.
a. Find the cost of 3 hours’ legal advice.
b. Write down the solicitor’s hourly rate.
c. The solicitor advertises that “the first n minutes of legal advice are free”.
Determine the value of n.

12) A courier charges for delivery and varies the price depending on the distance
involved. For deliveries 𝑑𝑑 miles away from London, the cost, £C, is given by
𝐶𝐶 = 7 + 0.8𝑑𝑑.
a. Find the cost of a delivery to an address 5 miles from London.
b. A delivery costs £17. Determine the distance from London to the delivery address.
Another company has a pricing model 𝐶𝐶1 = 9 + 0.6𝑑𝑑.
c. Comment on the difference between their pricing models.
d. Find the distance for which the two companies charge the same amount.
e. Determine which company would charge less for a delivery to a location 30 miles
from London.

Mixed practice
13) A linear sequence has terms 𝑢𝑢6 = 19 and 𝑢𝑢9 = 31.
Find the difference between successive terms.
Hence find an explicit formula for 𝑢𝑢𝑛𝑛 .

14) A linear sequence begins 3, 7, 11, 15, …

Find its hundredth term.

15) A linear sequence begins 29, 33.5, 38, …

Determine whether 110 is a term of the sequence.

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Answers

Practice 1
1) a. 3, 8, 13, 18, 23 b. 8, 14, 24, 38, 56 c. −1, 3, 29, 159, 749
2) Yes, 𝑢𝑢12 = 103.
3) No. If 𝑢𝑢𝑛𝑛 = 252 then 𝑛𝑛 is not an integer.
4) 8600

Practice 2
5) a. 4, 9, 19, 39, 79 b. 3, 5, 11, 29, 83 c. 0, 1, 0, 1, 0
6) 𝑢𝑢17 = 83

Practice 3
7) a. 2𝑛𝑛 + 3 b. 4𝑛𝑛 – 1 c. 6𝑛𝑛 − 4
8) a. 8𝑛𝑛 – 6 b. 3𝑛𝑛 + 4 c. 9𝑛𝑛 + 12
9) 2n + 1
10) 4n + 1

Practice 4
11) a. $700 b. $280 c. 30 minutes
12) a. £11 b. 12.5 miles
c. The first company has a lower fixed cost and is cheaper inside London.
The second company charges less per mile outside London and so is cheaper
for long distances.
d. 10 miles (costing £15)
e. The second company (£27 vs £31)

Mixed practice
13) The difference is 4. 𝑢𝑢𝑛𝑛 = 4𝑛𝑛 − 5.
14) 399
15) 110 is the 19th term.

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