Arithmetic

Sequence
 Objectives:
At the end of the study, the student
must be able to:
• define arithmetic sequence;
• know if a sequence is an arithmetic
progression;
• apply arithmetic sequence in
problems;
• insert arithmetic means between two
numbers, and;
• get the common difference, first
term, and nth term.
 What is it?
• A sequence is a set of numbers in a specific
order. What this means is that the set of
numbers can be put into a one-to-one
correspondence with the Counting Numbers (1,
2, 3, 4, ... ). Thus, you can talk about the 1st
element (or term) in a sequence or the 10th
element in a sequence or the 101st element in a
sequence.
• An arithmetic sequence is a sequence in which
the difference between any two consecutive
terms is the same, i.e., the difference is a
constant.
• It is a sequence in which the difference
between two successive terms has a constant
(d) which is called the common difference.
 General Formula:
tn=a+(n-1)d
a = first term
n = no. of terms
d = common difference
(term-previous term)
tn = nth term
 Points to Ponder
• The sequence that begins 1, 4, 7, 10, 13,
16, . . . is an arithmetic sequence since
the difference between consecutive
terms is always 3.
• The sequence that begins 8, 6, 4, 2, 0, -
2, -4, . . . is an arithmetic sequence since
the difference between consecutive
terms is always -2.
• In order to identify if a pattern is an
arithmetic sequence you must examine
consecutive terms. If all consecutive
terms have a common difference you can
conclude that the sequence is
arithmetic.
 Examples:
Find the variables being asked.
1. 2,7,12 find d and t12
d=5
t12=a+(n-1)d
=2+(11-1)5
=2+11(5)
=2+55
answer: 57
2. 6, 10, 14 find t50
d=40
t50=6+(50-1)4
=6+(49)4
=6+196
=202
3. Find the 15th term of the A.P if the fifth term
is 12 and the tenth term is -3

t5= a + (5-1)d
t10= a + (10-1)d
(a+4d=12)-1 a+4d=12
a+9d=-3 a+4(-3)=12
-a-4d=-12 a-12=12
a+9d=-3 a=24
5d=-15 t15= a +(15-1)d
d=-3 =24+14(-3)
=14+(-42)
= -15
4. Find the value of k if 6-2k,
3k+1, and 5k form an A.P.

(3k+1)-(6-2k)=(5k)-(3k+1)
3k+1-6-2k=5k-3k-1
5k-5=2k-1
3k=4
k= 4/3
5. Insert three arithmetic
means between 4 and 10

4, t2,t3,t4,10 t2=4+3/2= 5
½
t5=a +(5-1)d t3=5 ½+3/2=7
10=4+4d t4=7+3/2= 8 ½
6=4d
d=3/2
ACTIVITIES
Good Luck!!!
I. Determine which of the following sequences are
in A.P. For those that are in A.P, give the
common difference, and the next three terms
of the sequence.

1. 0.1, 0.01, 0.001…

2. 40, 42, 44, 46…
3. 5, 8, 11, 14…
4. 1/3, 1/4, 1/6, 1/12…
5. 1.2, 1.8, 2.4…
6. -11, -7, -3, 1…
7. x+2, 2x+1, 3x…
8. 1/3, 1, 5/3..
9. 5/3, 15/4, 5…
10. √2, √3, √4, √5…
II. Given the first term (a), and
the common difference (d) of
an A.P, find the next 5 terms.

1. a = 2/5 d = 1/10
2. a = 1.5 d = 0.3
3. a = 3 d = -5
4. a = -3 d = 2
5. a = x+4 d = x-2
III. Find the common difference and
insert four arithmetic means
between the given numbers.

1. 9 and 24
2. -25 and 3
3. 4 and 179
4. 50.1 and 50. 7
5. a and a+12
6. x + 2 and x + 10
IV. Problem solving. Find the variable being
asked.

1. If 5x – 3, x + 2 and 3x – 11 form an
A.P, find x and t21.

2. If the first term is -4, and the common

difference is 3, what term is 116?

3. The ninth term of an A.P is 15, and the

17th term is 27, find the a and d.
4. The third term of an A.P is 9 and
its 7th term is 49, what is the 11th
term?

5. A carpenter made a ladder with 16

rungs. The bottom rung is 70 cm.
if each succeeding rung is 1 cm
shorter than the preceding, how
long is the top most rung?
Answers
Test I answers:
1. Not A.P
2. A.P, d = 2, Next 3 terms = 48, 50, 52
3. A.P, d = 3, Next 3 terms = 17, 20, 23
4. A.P, d = -1/12, Next 3 terms = 0, -1/12,
-1/6
5. A.P, d = 0.6, Next 3 terms = 3, 3.6, 4.2
6. A.P, d = 4, Next 3 terms = 5, 9, 13
7. A.P, d = x-1, Next 3 terms = 4x-1, 5x-
2, 6x-3
8. A.P, d = 2/3, Next 3 terms = 2 1/3, 3, 3
2/3
9. Not A.P
10. Not A.P
Test II answers:
1.1/2, 3/5, 7/10, 4/5, 9/10
2.1.8, 2.1, 2.4, 2.7, 3
3.-2, -7, -12, -17, -22
4.-1, 1, 3, 5, 7
5.2x+2, 3x, 4x-2, 5x-4,
6x-6
Test III answers:
1. d = 3, Four arithmetic means = 12, 15,
18, 21
2. d = 28/5, Four arithmetic means = -19
2/5, -13 4/5, -8 1/5, -2 3/5
3. d = 35, Four arithmetic means = 39,
74, 109, 144
4. d = 0.12, Four arithmetic means =
50.22, 50.34, 50.46, 50.58
5. d = 12/5, Four arithmetic means = a +
12/5, a + 24/5, a + 36/5, a + 48/5
6. d = 8/5, Four arithmetic means = x +
18/5, x + 26/5, x + 34/5, x + 42/5
 Test IV answers:
1.x = 3, t21 = -128
2.n = 41 term
st

3.d = 3/2, a = 3
4.11 term = 89
th

5.t16 = 55 cm
 Prepared by:
• Marx Lennin Cabaltican
• Bernadette Aubrey
Cabrera
• Precious Fernandez