Geometric Progression

A) Determine whether each of the following is a geometric progression.

1 4, 12, 36, 108, ……. 2 2, 4, 8, 16, …… 3 7, 35, 105, 210, ……

Yes Yes No
4 72, 36, 18, 9,…… 5 0.03, 0.06, 0.09, 0.12,…… 6 y8
4 y 2 ,− 2 y 4 , y 6 ,−
2

Yes No Yes
B) Find the values of x if each of the following is a geometric progression. Hence, in the case x > 0, calculate the common ratio of
each progression.
1 x ,2 x + 1,5 x + 4 ,...... 2 2 x ,3 x + 2,7 x + 2,......

x = 1, r = 3 x = 2, r = 2
3 −1,2 x ,−8 x ,...... 4 2,5,4 x ,.......

x = 2, r = -4 25
x= , r = 2.5
8
 th
C) Find the specified n term for each of the following geometric progressions.
Tn = ar n−1
th th
1 6 ,−18,54 ,KK 6 term 2 2,10 ,50,KK 11 term 3 1 2 4 th
, , ,LL 7 term
3 3 3

-1458 19531250 1
21
3
th th
4 4 ,20 ,100 ,KK 5th term 5 21,63,189 ,KK 8 term 6 0.075,0.45,2.7,KK 9 term

2500 45927 125971.2

D) Find the nth term, in term of n, for each of the following geometric progression.
1 1,3,9 ,...... 2 1
2,1, KK
2

3 n −1 2 2 −n
3 4 ,−2,1KK 4 0.2,0.02,0.002,KK

 1
n −1
n −1 3− n
0.2(0.1) n −1
4 −  or (−1) 2
 2
E) Given the last term of a geometric progression, find the number of terms in each progression below.
1 24 ,36 ,54 ,K ,81 2 256 ,128,64 ,K ,4 3 3,−9,27,K ,−729

4 7 6
4 1 1 1 1 5 5,10 ,20 ,K ,1280 6 6.3m ,12.6m ,25.2m ,K ,100.8m
,− , ,K ,−
7 21 63 1701

6 9 5
F) Find the first term with value just more than 10000 for each of the following geometric progressions.
1 8 ,32,128 ,...... 2 6,12,24KK

32768 12288
3 1,3,9KK 4 1
,1,2,KK
2

19683 16384
G) Solve the following GP
1 If the second term of a geometric progression is 3 and the 2 In a geometric progression, the sum of the second term and
32 the third term is 12 while the sum of the third term and the
seventh term is , find the first term
81 fourth term is 6. Find the common ratio.

1 1
4
2 2
3 The length of the sides of a triangle are in a geometric 4 The price of a new car is RM50000. If its value decreases at
progression. The length of the longest side is 36 cm. If the the rate of 8% a year as compared to its value in the
perimeter of the triangle is 76 cm, find the positive value of previous year, find the value of the car after 5 years.
the common ratio.

1 32954.08
1
2
Test Yourself
1 If p − 3, p + 3,4 p + 3 are three consecutive terms of a 2 m , m + 4 ,2m + 2 are three consecutive terms of a geometric
geometric progression, find the possible values of p and the progression.
corresponding values of the common ratio. a) Find the value of m such that all the terms are positive.
b) If m is the second term, find the seventh term.

1 3
p = 6 r = 3; p = -1, r = − a) 8 b) 60
2 4
3 2 4 In a geometric progression, the sum of the second term and
The second term of a geometric progression is and the
3 third term is 36 and the sum of the third term and the
1 fourth term is 12, find the first term and the common ratio.
fourth term is . If all the terms are positive, find
54
a) the first term and the common ratio
b) the nth term

1 4 1
a=4r= b) n −1 a) 81 r=
6 6 3
5 Find the smallest term of the geometric progression 6 Find the smallest term of the geometric progression 27, 18,
1 12, …… that is less than 2
3,5,8 ,KK that exceeds 100
3

th th
8 term, T8 = 107.17 8 term, T8 = 1.581
7 Azira invest RM40000 in a finance company with a simple
interest of 5% per annum. Find the amount of her saving
after 9 years.
RM62053.13
9 The third term and the sixth term of a geometric
progression are 27 and 8 respectively. Find the second term.
1 RM79610.45
40
2
8 The value of a car decreases at the rate of 10% a year as
compared to its value in the previous year. If a new car was
bought in the year 2000 with a price of RM80000, calculate
its value in the year 2005
RM47239.20
The amount of the insurance coverage for a newly bought
imported car in the year 2001 was RM120000. The amount
insured for each of the following years will decrease by 5%
as compared to the previous year. Calculate the amount for
the year 2009.