SEQUENCES AND

SERIES
LECTURE 2 OF 2
LEARNING OUTCOMES
• At the end of the lesson, students should be able to

• c) find the nth term of geometric sequences

and series, Tn  ar n1 and use the sum
a(1  rn )
formula, Sn  for r  1 .
1 r
c) Find the nth term of geometric sequences
and series and use the sum formula

A geometric sequence (progression) is a

sequence of numbers in which the ratio of a
term to the previous term is a constant,
called the common ratio.

Generally, the terms of a geometric

sequence are given by a, ar, ar2 , ar3 ,...
where a is first term and r is common
ratio.
The nth term of a geometric sequence is
Tn  ar n1

The sum of the first n terms of a geometric

sequence is
a(1  rn )
Sn  for r  1
1 r

The sum to infinity of a geometric sequence

is
a
S  for 1  r 1
1 r
Example 1
Find the nth term of the geometric sequence
5, 10, 20, 40,...
Solution
5, 10, 20, 40,...
a5

r  10  2
5
Tn  ar n1

Tn  5(2)n1
Example 2
Find the number of terms in the geometric
sequence 6, 18, 54,..., 1458 .
Solution
6, 18, 54,..., 1458
a6
r  18  3
6
Tn  arn1

1458  6(3)n1
243  (3)n1
35  3 n1
5  n 1
n6
Example 3
The 4th term of a geometric sequence is 15
and the 7th term is 960 . Find the common
ratio and first term.
Solution
T4  15 Tn  arn1
ar 3  15 (1)
T7  960
ar 6  960 (2)

(2)  (1) :
ar 6  960
ar 3 15
r 3  64
r 4
(1): a(4) 3  15

64a  15

a  15
64
Example 4
Find the sum to the 10th term of the
geometric series
2  4  8  16  ...
Solution
2  4  8  16  ...
a2

r  4 2
2
n  10
a(1  r n )
Sn 
1 r
2(1  2 10 )
S 10 
1 2
 2046
Example 5

Find the sum to the

a) 7th term

1 1
of the geometric series 1, − ,− ,..
2 4
Solution
1 1
1, − , − , . .
2 4
a 1
1
(− 2 ) 1
r = 1
= −2

a(1  r n )
Sn 
1 r
1(1  ( − 1 ) 7 )
2
S7 
1 (− 2 )1

43
S7  64
Example 6
Find the sum to infinity of the geometric series

8  2  1  ...
2
Solution
8  2  1  ...
2
a8
r  2  1
8 4
a
S 
1 r
8
S 
1 1
4
 32
3