ARITHMETIC

GEOMETRIC

TOPIC: SEQUENCE AND SERIES

SEQUENCE
MEANS
SERIES

ARITHMETIC AND GEOMETRIC:

Determine whether each of the following sequences is an arithmetic,
geometric, or not. Determine the d for arithmetic or r for geometric.
1. −2, 10, −50, 250, … 9 3 3
4. 3, , , , …
𝐺𝑒𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐, 𝑟 = −5 4 2 4
3
2. −17, −12, −24, −28, … 𝐴𝑟𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐, 𝑑 = −
4
𝑁𝑜𝑡
5. −7, 3, 13, 23, …
5
3. −20, −10, −5, − , … 𝐴𝑟𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐, 𝑑 = 10
2
1 6. −8, 48, −288, −294
𝐺𝑒𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐, 𝑟 =
2 𝑁𝑜𝑡

EXAMPLE:
ARITHMETIC: GEOMETRIC:
𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎1 + 𝑛 − 1 𝑑 𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎1 𝑟 𝑛−1

𝑛 𝑎1 − 𝑎1 𝑟 𝑛
𝑆𝑛 = [2𝑎1 + 𝑛 − 1 𝑑] 𝑆𝑛 =
2 1−𝑟

𝑛 𝑎1 − 𝑟𝑎𝑛
𝑆𝑛 = (𝑎1 + 𝑎𝑛 ) 𝑆𝑛 =
2 1−𝑟

FORMULA’S:
Solve each problem.
1
1. Insert two arithmetic means between 1 and − .
2

2. Insert three arithmetic means between −9 𝑎𝑛𝑑 − 409.

3. Insert three geometric means between 32 𝑎𝑛𝑑 8192.

1 1
4. Insert four geometric means between 𝑎𝑛𝑑
2 486

EXAMPLE: 𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎1 + 𝑛 − 1 𝑑 𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎1 𝑟 𝑛−1
Solve each problem.
1 𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎1 + 𝑛 − 1 𝑑
1. Insert two arithmetic means between 1 and − .
2
1 1
0 1 − =1+ 4−1 𝑑
2 ____, −
1, _____, 2
2
1
− = 1 + 3𝑑
2
1
−1 − = 3𝑑
2
2. Insert three arithmetic means between −9 𝑎𝑛𝑑 − 409.
3
− = 3𝑑 1
−109 ________,
𝑑 = −100 −9, ________, −209 ________,
−309 −409 2 − =𝑑
2
3 3

EXAMPLE: 𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎1 + 𝑛 − 1 𝑑
Solve each problem.
3. Insert three geometric means between 32 𝑎𝑛𝑑 8192. 𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎1 𝑟 𝑛−1

128 ______,
32, _____, 2048 8192
512 ______, 8192 = 32 ∙ 𝑟 5−1
𝐺𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑛: 32 32
 𝑎1 = 32 256 = 𝑟 4
 𝑎𝑛 = 8192 4 4
256 = 𝑟4
𝑛=5
1 1 4= 𝑟
4. Insert four geometric means between 𝑎𝑛𝑑
2 486
1 1 1 1
1 1 6 18 54 162 1
𝑟= , _____, _____, _____, _____,
3 2 486

EXAMPLE: 𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎1 𝑟 𝑛−1
Solve each problem.

• Find the sum of the first 50 even numbers.

• A movie theater has 32 rows of seats. If there are 26 seats in the 1st row, 30 in the
2nd, 34 in the 3rd, and so on, how many seats are there in all?

• You have won an eating contest sponsored by a restaurant. If you are given the
choice of the two payment plans listed below. Which plan will pay you more? How
much more?
a. 50 on the first day, 100 on the second day, 150 on the third day, etc., for two
weeks.
b. 25 on the first day, 50 on the second day, 100 on the third day, etc., for two
weeks

EXAMPLE:
• Find the sum of the first 50 even numbers. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, …
𝑛
𝐺𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑛: 𝑆𝑛 = [2𝑎1 + 𝑛 − 1 𝑑]
2
 𝑎1 = 2
50
 𝑛 = 50 𝑆50 = [2 ∙ 2 + 50 − 1 2]
2
 𝑑 =2
 𝑆50 = ? 𝑆50 = 25(4 + 98)
𝑆50 = 2550
𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎1 + 𝑛 − 1 𝑑

𝑛 𝑛
𝑆𝑛 = [2𝑎1 + 𝑛 − 1 𝑑] 𝑆𝑛 = (𝑎1 + 𝑎𝑛 )
EXAMPLE: 2 2
• A movie theater has 32 rows of seats. If there are 26 seats in the 1st row, 30 in the 2nd,
34 in the 3rd, and so on, how many seats are there in all?
26, 30, 34, … 𝑛
𝐺𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑛: 𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎1 + 𝑛 − 1 𝑑 𝑆𝑛 = (𝑎1 + 𝑎𝑛 )
 𝑎1 = 26 2
𝑎𝑛 = 26 + 32 − 1 4 32
 𝑛 = 32 𝑆32 = (26 + 150)
𝑎𝑛 = 150 2
 𝑑 =4
𝑆32 = 16(176)
 𝑆32 = ?
𝑆32 = 2816
𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎1 + 𝑛 − 1 𝑑

𝑛 𝑛
𝑆𝑛 = [2𝑎1 + 𝑛 − 1 𝑑] 𝑆𝑛 = (𝑎1 + 𝑎𝑛 )
EXAMPLE: 2 2
• You have won an eating contest sponsored by a restaurant. If you are given the choice
of the two payment plans listed below. Which plan will pay you more? How much
more?
a. 50 on the first day, 100 on the second day, 150 on the third day, etc., for two
weeks.
b. 25 on the first day, 50 on the second day, 100 on the third day, etc., for two
weeks
𝑛 𝑆14 = 409575 𝑎1 − 𝑎1 𝑟 𝑛
𝑆𝑛 = [2𝑎1 + 𝑛 − 1 𝑑] 𝑆𝑛 =
𝐺𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑛: 2 𝐺𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑛: 1−𝑟
 𝑎1 = 50 14  𝑎1 = 25 14
𝑆14 = [2 ∙ 50 + 14 − 1 50] 25 − 25 ∙ 2
 𝑛 = 14 2 𝑆14 =
 𝑛 = 14 1−2
 𝑑 =50 𝑆 = 7(100 + 650) 𝑟=2
14 −409575
 𝑆14 = ?  𝑆 = ? 𝑆14 =
𝑆14 = 5250 14 −1

EXAMPLE:
• How many terms of the arithmetic sequence 1, 3, 5, 7, … will give a sum of 961?
𝑛
𝐺𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑛: 𝑆𝑛 = [2𝑎1 + 𝑛 − 1 𝑑]
2
 𝑎1 = 1 961 2 = 𝑛(1)(2𝑛)
𝑛
 𝑆𝑛 = 961 961 = [2 ∙ 1 + 𝑛 − 1 2] 1922 = 2𝑛2
2
 𝑑 =2 𝑛 2 2
961 = (2 + 2𝑛 − 2)
 𝑛 =? 2 961 = 𝑛2
𝑛
961 = (2𝑛) 961 = 𝑛2
2
961 𝑛 31 = 𝑛
= (2𝑛)
1 2
𝑛 𝑛
EXAMPLE: 𝑆𝑛 = [2𝑎1 + 𝑛 − 1 𝑑]
2
𝑆𝑛 = (𝑎1 + 𝑎𝑛 )
2