13.3.2 What is the 50th term of the sequence

I would have gotten it wrong, so it's a good thing you stepped inIn summary, for an arithmetic sequence where the 3rd and 4th terms are 13 and 18 respectively, the 50th term is 248. The first term can be found by subtracting twice the common difference from the 3rd term, and the general term is given by $a_n = a_3 + (n-1)d$, where $d$ is the common difference.
  • #1
karush
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5
The 3rd and 4th terms of an arithmetic sequence are 13 and 18. respectively.
What is the 50th term of the sequence!
a, 248 b. 250 c. 253 d, 258 e, 763

b the common difference is 5 so $5\cdot 50=\boxed{250}$

basically these are easy but I still seem to miss the goal posts
 
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  • #2
Okay, so d = 5. What is the first term in the series? What is the equation to get the nth term of the series?

-Dan
 
  • #3
Since this has been here a while and, as topsquark implied, Karush's answer is wrong:
An "arithmetic sequence" has the form a, a+ r, a+ 2r, a+ 3r, a+ 4r ..., with "common difference" between two successive terms r. The general term is "a+ (n-1)r", NOT "nr".

Here two successive terms are 13 and 18 so the "common difference" is 18- 13= 5 as Karush said. But 13= 3+ 2(5) and 18= 3+ 3(5) so the general term is $a_n= 3+ (n-1)5$ and the 50th term is 3+ 49(5)= 248, not 250.
 
  • #4
Mahalo
yeah that post kinda got left hanging
i never found these essy
 

1. What is the formula for finding the 50th term of a sequence?

The formula for finding the nth term of a sequence is: an = a1 + (n-1)d, where an is the nth term, a1 is the first term, and d is the common difference between terms. Therefore, to find the 50th term, we would plug in 50 for n and solve for a50.

2. How do you determine the first term and common difference of a sequence?

The first term, a1, can usually be found by looking at the beginning of the sequence. The common difference, d, can be found by taking any two consecutive terms and subtracting them. The result will be the same for any two consecutive terms in the sequence.

3. Can the 50th term of a sequence be negative?

Yes, the 50th term of a sequence can be negative. It all depends on the values of the first term and common difference. If the common difference is negative or if the first term is a negative number, then the 50th term could be negative.

4. What if the sequence does not follow a pattern?

If the sequence does not follow a pattern, then there is no way to determine the 50th term or any other term for that matter. In order to find a specific term in a sequence, there must be a pattern or rule that the sequence follows.

5. Can the 50th term of a sequence be a decimal or fraction?

Yes, the 50th term of a sequence can be a decimal or fraction. As long as the sequence follows a pattern, the 50th term can be any type of number, including a decimal or fraction.

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