MATHEMATICS 10

TOPIC: ARITHMETIC SEQUENCES AND

GEOMETRIC SEQUENCES
QUARTER: 1ST
LEARNING TARGETS

At the end of the lesson,

1. I can illustrate a geometric sequence
2. I can differentiate geometric sequence from arithmetic
sequence
3. I can state whether each of the following sequences is
arithmetic or geometric
 LET US RECALL

Do you remember the sitting arrangement done last year when you took the NCAE?
There were 30 students in each room. The table 1 shows that the number of students
varies directly as the number of rooms or as the number of rooms increases, the number
of students also increases. Can you guess the number of students when there are 12
rooms used? Table 1 is an example of Arithmetic Sequence.
Table 1
No. of 1 2 3 4 5
Rooms
No. of 30 60 90 120 150
Students
Suppose that the number of a certain bacteria grows as shown in table 2 below. At the
start, there are only 100 bacteria and after 1 hour, the number of bacteria is doubled. It
is consistent that based from the observation, the number of bacteria is always doubled
every hour. Can you tell the number of bacteria after 7 hours? 10 hours? Table 2 is an
example of Geometric Sequence.
Table 2

No. of 0 1 2 3 4
Hours
No. of 100 200 400 800 1600
bacteria
 GUIDE QUESTIONS:

1. What have you observed about the differences of the arithmetic from a
geometric sequence?
2. Can you tell the number of students who took the NCAE if there were 12
rooms used during the examination?
3. How many bacteria would there be after 7 hours if we consider the data
in table 2?
4. Can you define arithmetic sequence? geometric sequence?
 ACTIVITY 1.

State whether each of the following sequences is arithmetic or geometric:

1) 3, 7, 11, 15, 19, 23 …
2) 2, 6, 18, 54, 162 …
3) 7, 14, 28, 56, 112 …
4) 5, 20, 80, 320 …
5) 7√2, 5√2, 3√2, √2 …
Example 1. Examine the sequence 12, 17, 22, 27, 32, …
Step 1. Subtract the second term by the first term
d = 17 – 12 = 5 ( d = right term – left term)
Step 2. Check if the difference between the third term and the second term
is the same with step 1.
d = 22 – 17 = 5 ( d = right term – left term)
Step 3. Therefore, the sequence 12, 17, 22, 27, 32, … has a common
difference,
Example 2. Examine the sequence 2, 6, 18, 54, 162 …
Step 1. Divide the second term by the first term
r = = 3 (r = right term divided by the left term)
Step 2. Check the result if the same operation is applicable to get the third term.
r = = 3 (r = right term divided by the left term)
Step 3. Therefore, the sequence 2, 6, 18, 54, 162 …has a common ratio, r
 THINGS TO PONDER

• Arithmetic Sequence is a sequence where each term after the first is obtained by
adding the same constant, called the common difference.
• Common Difference is a constant added to each term of an arithmetic sequence to
obtain the next term of the sequence and denoted by d.
• Geometric Sequence is a sequence where each term after the first is obtained by
multiplying the preceding term by a nonzero constant called the common ratio.
• Common Ratio is a constant multiplied to each term of a geometric sequence to
obtain the next term of the sequence and denoted by r.
 ACTIVITY 2. TRY THIS.

State whether each of the following sequences is arithmetic or geometric

Then find the common difference or common ratio and give the next term
1) 3, 9, 27, 81, 243 …
2) 7, 21, 63, 189, 567 …
3) 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 …
4) 5, 25, 45, 65, 85 …
5) 2, 8, 32, 128, 512…