Chapter 11: Problem 23
Find \(S_{n}\) for each geometric series described. $$ a_{1}=5, r=3, n=12 $$
Short Answer
Expert verified
The sum of the series, \( S_{12} \), is 1,328,600.
Step by step solution
01
Identify the formula for the sum of a geometric series
A geometric series is the sum of the terms of a geometric sequence. The formula to find the sum of the first \( n \) terms is given by: \[ S_n = a_1 \frac{r^n - 1}{r - 1} \] where \( a_1 \) is the first term, \( r \) is the common ratio, and \( n \) is the number of terms.
02
Substitute the given values into the formula
Now, substitute the given values \( a_1 = 5 \), \( r = 3 \), and \( n = 12 \) into the formula: \[ S_{12} = 5 \frac{3^{12} - 1}{3 - 1} \]
03
Calculate \( 3^{12} \)
Compute \( 3^{12} \), which is a part of the formula:\[ 3^{12} = 531441 \]
04
Substitute back into the formula
Substitute \( 3^{12} = 531441 \) back into the formula:\[ S_{12} = 5 \frac{531441 - 1}{2} \]
05
Simplify the expression inside the fraction
Subtract 1 from 531441:\[ 531441 - 1 = 531440 \]
06
Simplify the fraction
Perform the division inside the fraction:\[ \frac{531440}{2} = 265720 \]
07
Multiply by the first term
Finally, multiply the resulting fraction by the first term:\[ S_{12} = 5 \times 265720 = 1328600 \]
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Sum of Geometric Series
The sum of a geometric series refers to the total when you add up all the terms in a geometric sequence. For understanding this plainly, a geometric series is built on terms that follow a specific pattern. In our scenario, the first term of the series is 5, and each succeeding term is obtained by multiplying the previous term by a constant value known as the "common ratio". To figure out the sum, we use the formula:\[S_n = a_1 \frac{r^n - 1}{r - 1}\]Where:
- \(S_n\) is the sum of the series.
- \(a_1\) is the initial term, here it's 5.
- \(r\) stands for the common ratio, which is 3.
- \(n\) represents the number of terms, which in this case is 12.
Common Ratio
The common ratio is a key element in defining a geometric sequence. It is the factor by which we multiply each term in the sequence to get to the next term. In the presented exercise, the common ratio \( r \) is 3. To observe this in action:
- Start with the first term, 5.
- Multiply 5 by 3 to get 15.
- Multiply 15 by 3 to get 45.
- This pattern continues repeatedly for all terms.
Geometric Sequence
A geometric sequence is a sequence of numbers where each term after the first is found by multiplying the previous one by the common ratio. In other words, there's a fixed number you multiply by to get from one term to the next.
For our example in the exercise, the sequence begins at 5 and continues with terms created by multiplying by 3:
- 5, 15, 45, 135, ...
Terms of the Series
In the context of a geometric series, the "terms" refer to the numbers in the sequence that we are summing up. The first term is denoted as \( a_1 \), followed by terms formed through multiplying by the common ratio. For the exercise in discussion, the terms are identified and collaborated.For instance, given:
- The first term \( a_1 = 5 \).
- The second term is \( a_1 \times 3 = 15 \).
- The third term extends to \( 15 \times 3 = 45 \).