Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate

Additional Mathematics

School Based Assessment

Candidate Name: Chris-Ann Holder and Renaldo Sooknarine

Candidate Number:

School: St. James Secondary School

School Code:

Country/Territory: Trinidad And Tobago

Year of Examination: 2021

Teacher: Mr. Steele

Contents
Title..................................................................................................................................................3
Introduction.....................................................................................................................................4
Mathematical Formulation..............................................................................................................5
Plan #1 Arithmetic Progression (AP)........................................................................................5
 Title

An investigation in order to develop a saving plan that will allow me to purchase a computer in
the shortest time possible.
 Introduction

Physical schools have been closed due to the coronavirus pandemic and as a result school is done
online. With that there is a problem of having to share a computer amongst my four siblings,
therefore I am going to develop two saving plans and compare them to see which one is better to
purchase a personal computer to do my online schooling. After studying sequences in school, I
have decided to use the principles to model two saving plans to purchase a computer that costs
$3600. I receive a monthly allowance of $600 and I also get an extra $300 from extended family
chores.

The purpose of this project is to analyze a personal saving plan that will allow me to purchase a
computer in the shortest time possible.
 Mathematical Formulation
Plan #1 Arithmetic Progression AP
An Arithmetic Progression is a sequence in which each term exceeds the preceding term by a
constant and a series is the sum of the numbers or elements in a sequence. An AP can also be
used to investigate patterns in life for example loans, hire purchase, mortgages and saving plans.
A series is the sum of the numbers or elements in a sequence.

Cost of computer: $3600

Allowance: $600
Money from chores: $300
Total allowance: $900
Starting with an initial saving if $150 and increasing savings by $50 each subsequent month that
follows, I will use my model to solve the three following problems;
1.To solve the saving deposit at the beginning of the 8th month.
2. To find the amount of money that will be saved after eight months.
3. The time taken to save the entire amount needed to purchase the computer.

To determine the saving deposit at the beginning of the 8th month I will be using:
Tn=a+(n-1) d Whereas Tn represents which term I am trying to solve for
T8=a+(8-1) d and n is the number of terms in the sequence, Tn will be represented as
T8=a+7d T8 in my real model, “a” represents the first term and it will be
represented by $150 in the model and “d” is the common difference and
will be represented by $50 in my model.

To determine the amount that will be saved after eight months:

n
Sn= [2a+(n-1)d] S represent the sum of terms in the sequence and n represents the number
2
8
S8= [2x150+(8-1)50 of terms in the sequence and will be represented by 8 in my model. “a” is
2
the first term and will be represented by $150 in my model. “d” is the
 common difference and will be represented by $50 in my model.

The formula I will be using to solve the time taken to save for the computer will be:

n
Sn= (2a+(n-1) d) Whereas Sn represents the sum of terms and will be represented by
2
n
$3600= (2a+(n-1) d) $3600. “n” is the number of terms in which I am trying to find.
2
$7200=(2a+(n-1) d) “a” is the first term and will be represented by $150 and d is the
$7200=2na+dn(n-1) common difference and will be represented by $50. To solve the
last
$7200=2na+dn2-d line of equation three I will have to use the quadratic equation

−b ± √ b2−4 ac
$7200=dn2+2na-d x= to solve it.
2a
The reason why I am solving these three AP questions is to compare them to another three
geometric progression (GP) questions to determine which one will be the fastest to acquire my
computer.
 Plan #2 Geometric Progression GP

A Geometric Progression is a sequence in which each term is multiplied by a constant to obtain

the next term.

Cost of computer: $3600

Allowance: $600
Money from chores: $300
Total amount: $900

Starting with an initial saving if $150 and increasing savings by $50 each subsequent month that
follows, I will use my model to solve the three following problems;
1.To solve the saving deposit at the beginning of the 8th month.
2. To find the amount of money that will be saved after eight months.
3. The time taken to save the entire amount needed to purchase the computer.

To determine the saving deposit at the beginning of the 8th month I will be using:

Tn=a r n−1 whereas T represents the number of terms in the sequence and n is the number
T 8=¿(150) (50 )
8−1
¿ of terms in the sequence and will be represented as T8 in my model. “a” is the

first term and will be $150 in my model. “r” is the common ratio which will
be $50 in my model.

To determine the amount that will be saved after eight months:

( r n−1 )
Sn= S represent the sum of terms in the sequence and n represents the number of
r−1
 ( 50 8−1 )
s8= terms and n will be 8 in my model. “r” is the common ratio and will be
50−1
represented as 8 in my model.
The formula I will be using to solve the time taken to save for the computer will be: