Handouts 4

An arithmetic sequence is a sequence in which the difference between any two consecutive terms is the same. This constant
difference is called the common difference, and will be denoted by d.
2, 5, 8, 11, 14
a1 a2 a3 a4 a5

Terms 2, 5, 8, 11, 14

Difference 3 3 3 3

10, 7, 4, 1, -2, -5
It is an arithmetic sequence with common difference -3. (Sequence is descending)

a1 a2 a3 a4 a5 a6

Terms 10, 7, 4, 1, -2, -5

Difference -3 -3 -3 -3 -3

Illustrative Example:
Determine if the following sequences is an arithmetic or not. If arithmetic, give the common difference.
1. 21, 31, 41, 51, … d = 10
2. 3, 5, 8, 12, 17 not arithmetic sequence
3. 28, 24, 20, 16, … d = -4
1 2 4
4. 0, , , 1, d = 1/3
3 3 3

Find the next three terms of the arithmetic progression -5, 1, 7, …

The common difference:

1 – (-5) = 6
7–1=6
Therefore, d = 6

Since the common difference is 6 and the sequence is ascending then add 6 to obtain the next three terms.

-5, 1, 7, 13, 19, 25

Practice Exercises
Directions: Determine the following sequence if arithmetic or not. Write YES and the common difference d if the given
illustrates an arithmetic sequence, otherwise write NOT.
________1. 5, 12, 19, 26, …
________2. 5, 2, -1, -4, …
________3. 2, 3, 5, 7, …
________4. 3, 8, 13, 18, …
________5. -12, -8, -5, -1, …
________6. 5, 11, 15, 17, …
________7. 20, 14, 8, 2, …
________8. 7 √ 5 ,2 √ 5 ,−3 √ 5 ,−8 √ 5, …
________9. x – y , -2y, -x – 3y,
________10. 1 ,1+ √ 5 , 1+2 √5 , …
Handouts 5

2, 9, 16, 23, …
 The first term of the arithmetic sequence is 2. To obtain the second term, the common difference 7 is added to the first term.
To get the next term, again we add the common difference to the term preceding it and so on. To illustrate,

a1 = 2 → a1
a2 = 9 → a1 + d
a3 = 16 → (a1 + d) + d = a1 + 2d
a4 = 23 → (a1 + 2d) + d = a1 + 3d
Observing the pattern above, to find the next term, multiply the common difference by one less than the number of term then
add to the first term. This is the general rule of an arithmetic sequence

where,
a1 = first term
an = nth term
n = term position
d = common difference

Illustrative Examples:
1. Find the 21st term of the arithmetic sequence: 4, 7, 10, 13, …
Note that a 1=4 , d=3 ,and n=21. Then, using the formula, substitute the given;
a 21=4+ ( 21−1 ) 3
a 21=4+ ( 20 ) 3
a 21=4+ 60
a 21=64
Thus, the 21st term is 64.

2. In the arithmetic sequence 4, 7, 10, 13, …, which term has a value of 301?
a n=a1 + ( n−1 ) d
301=4+ ( n−1 ) 3
300=3 n
100=n
Thus the 100th term is 301.

3. The 3rd term of an arithmetic sequence is 8 and the 16th term is 47. Find d , a1 and the 71st term.
Given: a 3=8 , a16 =47
a 3=a1 + ( 3−1 ) d and a 16 =a1 + ( 16−1 ) d
8=a1 + ( 3−1 ) d 47=a1+ (16−1 ) d
8=a1 +2 d 47=a1+ 15 d

Solving these two equations simultaneously for a1 and d. Subtracting the equation,

47 = a1 + 15d a3 = a1 + (3 - 1)3
 - 8 = a1 + 2d 8 = a1 + (2)(3)
39 = 13d 2 = a1
d=3

To find the 71st term:

a71 = a1 + (71 – 1)d
a71 = 2 + (70)(3)
a71 = 2 + 210
a71 = 212
The 71st term is 212.

Alternative Solution
Given: a 3=8(ak ), a16 =47(an ) then,

a n−a k
d=
n−k

a 16 −a3 47−8 39
d= = = =3
16−3 16−3 13

This formula is also applicable to find the nth term of the given arithmetic sequence.

Direction: Each of the number has information of an arithmetic sequence. Fill the missing information to make the
sequence arithmetic.

a1 d n an
First Term Common Difference No. of terms Nth term

3 1. __________ 11 43

2. __________ 2 15 35

-4 5 20 3. __________

14 -3 4. __________ -4

5. ________ ½ 31 12

5 3 6. __________ 62

2 7. __________ 8 51

-13 1.5 8 8. __________

11x – 10y
x y-x 9. __________

10. __________ 12 13 169

Handouts 6
 The first and last terms of a finite arithmetic sequence are called arithmetic extremes, and the terms in between are called
arithmetic means.

In the sequence 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24,

 4 and 24 are the arithmetic extremes
 8, 12, 16, 20 are the arithmetic means.
 Also, 8 is the arithmetic mean of 4 and 12.

The arithmetic mean between two numbers is sometimes called the average of two numbers. If more than one arithmetic
means will be inserted then employ the formula d.

Examples:
1. What is the arithmetic mean between 10 and 24?
Solution:
10+24
10, ___, 24 using the average formula; =17
2
Thus 17 is the arithmetic mean between the extremes 10 and 24.

2. Insert three arithmetic means between 8 and 16.

8, ___, ___, ___, 16 a 1=8 ; a5=16
a n−a k
Using difference formula: d=
n−k
a 5−a1 16−8
d= = =2
n−k 5−1
Thus 2 is the common difference and is positive therefore add it to the first term to get the succeeding term,
8, 10, 12, 14, 16

3. Find the missing term of the sequence ___, 6, ___, ___, 30.
a n−a k
a 2=6 ; a5 =30 Using difference formula: d=
n−k
a 5−a 2 30−6
d= = =8
n−k 5−2
The common difference is 8 and it is positive, to find for the succeeding terms add 8 and to find the preceding term
subtract 8, therefore;
-2, 6, 14, 22, 30

Generalization
The first and last terms of a finite arithmetic sequence are called arithmetic extremes, and the terms in between are called
arithmetic means.

a+ b a n−a k
average formula= d=
2 n−k

Practice Exercises
Direction: Given the two numbers, Insert the specified number of arithmetic means between it to make it an arithmetic
sequence.
1. Two arithmetic means between 5 and 21
2. Three arithmetic means between -4 and 44
3. Four arithmetic means between 20 and 85
4. Five arithmetic means between 10 and -26
5. Three arithmetic means between 2 √ 3 and 10 √ 3