Chapter 14: Problem 16
$$ 7,10,13,16,19, \ldots \quad 3 n+4 $$
Short Answer
Expert verified
The nth term is \( 3n + 4 \).
Step by step solution
01
Identify the Pattern
Examine the sequence: 7, 10, 13, 16, 19,... You can see that you add 3 to each term to get the next term, implying it's an arithmetic sequence with a common difference of 3. The first term is 7.
02
Arithmetic Sequence Formula
The formula for the nth term of an arithmetic sequence is given by: \[ a_n = a + (n-1) imes d \]where \( a \) is the first term and \( d \) is the common difference. In this sequence, \( a = 7 \) and \( d = 3 \).
03
Find the nth Term
Substitute the known values into the arithmetic sequence formula to find the expression for the nth term:\[ a_n = 7 + (n-1) imes 3 \] \[ a_n = 7 + 3n - 3 \] Simplify the expression:\[ a_n = 3n + 4 \]
04
Verification
Check that the derived expression, \( 3n + 4 \), generates the first few terms of the sequence:\- For \( n=1 \), \( 3(1) + 4 = 7 \)\- For \( n=2 \), \( 3(2) + 4 = 10 \)\- For \( n=3 \), \( 3(3) + 4 = 13 \)This matches the given sequence, thus verifying the formula.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Understanding the Common Difference
An arithmetic sequence is a string of numbers where each term after the first is obtained by adding a constant called the **common difference**. In the sequence 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, we find this difference by calculating how much is added to each term to reach the next one.
- Subtract the first term from the second: 10 - 7 = 3
- Likewise, subtract the second from the third: 13 - 10 = 3
- This confirms the common difference of 3.
Exploring the Sequence Pattern
A sequence pattern is the regular interval or rule used to generate the terms of a sequence. In an arithmetic sequence, the pattern is simple and based on the common difference.
In our given sequence:
In our given sequence:
- The sequence starts at 7.
- Each subsequent term is formed by adding 3 to the previous term.
- So the pattern is: Start with 7, then continually add 3.
Applying the nth Term Formula
The nth term formula of an arithmetic sequence provides a direct way to find any term without listing all the previous ones. It's incredibly useful in efficiently handling larger sequences.The formula is: \[ a_n = a + (n-1) \times d \]where
- \( a \) is the first term,
- \( n \) is the term's position in the sequence,
- \( d \) is the common difference.