Examples of Arithmetic and Geometric Progressions:

Arithmetic Progressions(A.P.)

 Savings Schemes
In saving schemes where lets suppose you deposit Rs. 1000 and every year
get an increase of Rs.50.
Thus forming another A.P. : 1000,1050,1100,1150.......
Here the first term is Rs. 1000 and common difference is Rs. 50. Every year
the amount in the account is increased by a constant amount.
 Taxi Meter
In taxi meter the fare for a meter is fixed and after every meter the amount
in the taxi meter is increased by a constant amount. The amount increased
in the taxi meter after every meter is the common difference of the
arithmetic progression.
 Uniform Acceleration
When there is uniform acceleration in a body, the velocity of the body
accelerating is increased by the uniform acceleration of the body. So the
uniform acceleration of the body is the common difference of this
arithmetic progression. This happens in case of free fall. The amount of
acceleration is added to the velocity of the body every second.
 Multiples of numbers
The multiples of numbers also form a arithmetic progression. The common
difference is the number whose multiples are taken. The first term is the
number. The number is added in each term.
e.g. the multiples of 3 are 3,6,9,12,15,18,….
Here the common difference is 3.
 Old Faithful Geyser prediction
Arithmetic progression helps in predicting when an old faithful geyser
erupts. An eruption of ‘n’ minutes will show that the next eruption happens
in: an=a+(n-1)d minutes
Eruption lengths:
 If an eruption lasts a minute then the next one will happen in 46 minutes.
It erupts every 35 to 120 minutes. The eruptions generally happen in 46
minutes time interval with constant difference of 12 minutes. Rangers of
that national park would plug that information into equation:
an= 46+(n-1)12 minutes
It forms the sequence of: 46,58,70,82,94...... with the common difference
of 12.
 Time
Time is also an example of arithmetic progression because time is added
with a constant amount in any interval on the basis of the unit we take.
e.g. 1 sec time is added after every second forming an AP.
 Theater seats
The number of seats in each row of a theater can also be in AP and the
number of seats in other rows can also be predicted on this basis.

.
e.g. A theater has twenty rows. The first row has 18 seats and each
successive seat has 2 more seats than the previous row. How many seats
are in the last row?
— a20=18+2(20-1)=18+2(19)=56
The last row has 56 seats
 Counting
In counting also, the successive term is increasing by 1 each time. So,
counting is also an AP where common difference is 1.

Geometric Progressions(G.P.)

 Compound Interest
Compound interest is also an example of geometric progression. with
compound interest, you earn interest on the principal amount added to
 your previous interest. So suppose you invest $1000 in the bank. You plan
on leaving the money in the bank for 4 years You are paid 5% compound
interest.
At time t = 0 years you have $1000
At time t = 1 [after one year] you will have $1050 which can be obtained by
($1000)(1.05) =$1050
At time t = 2 [after two years] you will have $1102.50 which can be
obtained by ($1050)(1.05)=$1102.50
At time t = 3 [after three years] you will have $1157.63 which can be
obtained by ($1102.50)(1.05)=$1157.63
At time t = 4 [after four years] you will have $1215.51 which can be
obtained by ($1157.63 )( 1.05) = $1215.51
So here the first term in the geometric progression is $1000 and the
common ratio is 1.05 .
 Power of numbers
When a number has some numerical index, the number is multiplied to
itself the number of times as the numerical index is. The series of the
increasing or decreasing power of a particular number is also a geometric
progression because each time the number is multiplied by the same
common ratio which is the number itself.
e.g. 22 =2*2=4, 23 =2*2*2=8, 24 =2*2*2*2=16, ……
 Bouncing of a ball
A ball bouncing is an example of a finite geometric sequence. Each time the
ball bounces it's height gets cut down by half. If the ball's first height is 4
feet, the next time it bounces it's highest bounce will be at 2 feet, then 1,
then 6 inches and so on, until the ball stops bouncing.
 Binary Bacterial Fission
In bacterial fission, a mother bacterial cell is divided into two daughter
bacterial cells. And the daughter bacterial cells develop and then again each
divides into two. In this way, each time the population of bacteria is
doubled, so the common ratio is two.
 So from these all examples of geometric and arithmetic progressions, we
can distinguish some differences between them and they are:
S.N. Arithmetic Progression Geometric Progression
1 It is a progression in which the It is a progression in which the
successor is found by adding the successor is found by multiplying the
previous no with constant no. previous no with constant no.
2 The constant number added is The constant number multiplied is
called common difference. called common ratio
3 The difference between two The difference between two
successive terms is always constant. successive terms is not always
constant.
4 When the common difference and When the common difference and
common ratio for a AP and GP are common ratio for a AP and GP are
same respectively and the first same respectively and the first terms
terms are also same, the difference are also same, the difference
between nth term and 1st term is between nth term and 1st term is
generally less in AP than GP. generally more in GP than AP.
5 e.g. 1, 3, 5, 7, 9,… e.g. 1, 3, 6, 9,…