Arithmetic Sequences

8.2 and Partial Sums

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What You Should Learn
• Recognize, write, and find the nth terms of
arithmetic sequences.

• Find nth partial sums of arithmetic sequences.

Make sure you write down this formula on slide
#8 and at least one example.

• Use arithmetic sequences to model and solve

real-life problems. Make sure you write down
this formula on slide #10 and at least one
example.
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Arithmetic Sequences

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Arithmetic Sequences
A sequence whose consecutive terms have a common difference
is called an arithmetic sequence.

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Example 1 – Examples of Arithmetic Sequences

a. The sequence whose nth term is

4n + 3

is arithmetic.

The common difference between consecutive terms is 4.

Begin with n = 1.
7, 11, 15, 19, . . . , 4n + 3, . . .
11 – 7 = 4

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Example 1 – Examples of Arithmetic Sequences cont’d

b. The sequence whose nth term is

7 – 5n

is arithmetic.

The common difference between consecutive terms is

–5.

2, –3, –8, –13, . . . , 7 – 5n, . . . Begin with n = 1.

–3 – 2 = –5

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Example 1 – Examples of Arithmetic Sequences cont’d

c. The sequence whose nth term is

is arithmetic.

The common difference between consecutive terms is

Begin with n = 1.

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Arithmetic Sequences

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The Sum of a Finite
Arithmetic Sequence

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The Sum of a Finite Arithmetic Sequence

There is a simple formula for the sum of a finite arithmetic

sequence.

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Example 5 – Finding the Sum of a Finite Arithmetic Sequence

Find the sum:

1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + 9 + 11 + 13 + 15 + 17 + 19.

Solution:
To begin, notice that the sequence is arithmetic (with a
common difference of 2). Moreover, the sequence has 10
terms. So, the sum of the sequence is

Sn = 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + 9 + 11 + 13 + 15 + 17 + 19

Formula for sum of an arithmetic sequence

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Example 5 – Solution cont’d

Substitute 10 for n, 1 for a1, and 19 for an.

= 5(20) Simplify.

= 100.

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The Sum of a Finite Arithmetic Sequence

The sum of the first n terms of an infinite sequence is called

the nth partial sum.

The nth partial sum of an arithmetic sequence can be found

by using the formula for the sum of a finite arithmetic
sequence which is on slide #10.

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Applications

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Example 7 – Total Sales
A small business sells $20,000 worth of sports memorabilia
during its first year. The owner of the business has set a
goal of increasing annual sales by $15,000 each year for
19 years. Assuming that this goal is met, find the total sales
during the first 20 years this business is in operation.

Solution:
The annual sales form an arithmetic sequence in which
a1 = 20000 and d = 15,000. So,

an = 20,000 + 15,000(n – 1)

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Example 7 – Solution cont’d

and the nth term of the sequence is

an = 15,000n + 5000.

This implies that the 20th term of the sequence is

a20 = 15,000(20) + 5000

= 300,000 + 5000

= 305,000.
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Example 7 – Solution cont’d

The sum of the first 20 terms of the sequence is

nth partial sum formula

Substitute 20 for n,
20,000 for a1, and
305,000 for an.

= 10(325,000) Simplify.

= 3,250,000. Simplify.

So, the total sales for the first 20 years are $3,250,000.

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