A set of numbers is arranged in a definite order where there

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

exists a first term, a second term, a third term and so on.

Whereby each term is obtained by following a specific
formula or a special rule. This set of numbers is called a
sequence and also known as progression.
There are two types of sequences : Arithmetic and

Geometric Sequence.
MARIATHY KARIM
UiTM SARAWAK (SAMARAHAN)
FSKM(MATHEMATICS)

Sequence: T1, T2, T3, , Tn.

T1 is the first term. Also defined as a.

Arithmetic Sequence
Definition

Sequence of numbers whereby each term(except the

first term) is obtained by adding a constant or a fixed
number known as common difference (d) to its
immediate predecessor.

Common Difference

The common difference can be either positive or

negative value.
Common Difference ,
d = Tn Tn-1
Examples:
d = T2 T1 or d = T3 T2

The nth term

Sum of the first n terms

Tn = a + (n 1)d

Sn

n
2a (n 1)d
2

To determine common difference in an arithmetic

sequence; any term can be choose and then subtract

the value of the term with its immediate predecessor.
Example:
1. Find the common difference of the following arithmetic sequences.
a) 2, 4, 6, 8,
b) 5, 3, 1, -1,
c) , 3/2 , 5/2 ,

Solutions:
a) d = T2 T1 = 4 2 = 2
d = T3 T2 = 6 4 = 2
b) d = T2 T1 = 3 5 = -2
d = T3 T2 = 1 3 = -2
c) d = T2 T1 = 3/2 = 1
d = T3 T2 = 5/2 3/2 = 1

The n-th term can be calculate by using the given

formula.
Tn = a + (n 1)d
Example:
1. Find the tenth term of the following sequence.
5, 10, 15, 20, 25,.
solution:
a = 5 & d = 10 5 = 5
Tn = a + (n 1)d
T10 = 5 + (10 1)5
= 5 + (9)5
= 5 + 45
= 50

2. Find the:
a) common difference, d
b) the 11th term of the arithmetic sequence

3. Find the number of terms that exist in the following

arithmetic progression.
3, 5, 7,.,81
Solution:
a = 3, d = 2 , n = ? & Tn=81
Tn = 81
a + (n 1)d = 81
3 + (n 1)2 = 81
3 + 2n 2 = 81
2n = 81 3 + 2
n = 80 2
n = 40

3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18
Solution:
a) d = T2-T1 = 6 3 = 3
b) T11
= a + (n-1)d
= 3 + (11-1)(3)
= 33

4. Given that term 7 of an arithmetic sequence is 49 and term

16 is 112. Find the sequence.
T7 49
T1 6 112
T7 a (7 1) d 49

T7 a 6d 49 1
T1 6 a (16 1) d 112

T1 6 a 15d 112 2
( 2) (1) : 9d 63
63
9
d 7
d

Substitute d 7 into (1) :

a 6( d ) 49
a 6(7) 49
a 42 49
a 7

1. Find the common difference and the tenth term of the

following.
i) 3, 7, 11, 15,
ii) 1, 2.5, 4, 5.5, .
iii) 9, 6, 3, 0, .
2. Find the number of terms that exist in the following
arithmetic progression.
2, 5, 8, , 59.
7, 15, 23, , 103.
iii) 6, 19, 32, , 318.
i)

ii)

The sequence is 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, ...

3.

The 10th term of the arithmetic sequence

a, a+3, a+6, is 34. Find the value of a and the 20th term.

4.

Given that the first term of an arithmetic progression is 6

and the 8th term is -29. Find the sixteenth term.

To calculate the sum of the first n-th terms, we need to

5.

Given the value of the third term of an arithmetic

sequence is 5 and the value of the seventh term is -1. Find
the common difference and the first term.

The formula of the sum of the first n-th term:

determine the first term (a), common difference (d)

and the number of term for the given sequence.

Sn

n
2a (n 1)d
2

 Example:

1. Find the sum of the first fifth teen terms for the given
sequence.
21, 19, 17, 15,5

Determine the sum of the sequence

57, 63, 69, 75, 81,.., 177.
Solution:
a = 57 , d = 6 , n = ? & Sn = ?
2.

first we need to find the number of the sequence.

Tn = 177
a + (n 1)d = 177
57 + (n 1)6 = 177

solution:
a = 21 , d = -2 & S15 = ?
Sn

S15

Sn

S21

57 + 6n 6 = 177
6n = 177 57 + 6
n = 126 6
n = 21

n
2a (n 1)d
2

= 15/2 [2(21) + (15 - 1)(-2)]

= 15/2 [ 42 + 14(-2) ]
= 15/2 [ 42 -28 ]
= 15/2 [14 ]
= 105

n
2a (n 1)d
2

= 21/2 [ 2(57) + (21 1) 6 ]

= 21/2 [ 114 + 120 ]
= 21/2 [ 234 ]
= 2457

Now, we know that n = 21, so we could determine the S21 using the
sum formula.

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.

6.

Ishak starts with a monthly salary of RM 1250 for the first

year and receives an annual increment of RM 80. How
much will he receive monthly for his tenth year of service?
solution:
a = 1250 ,d = 80 , T10 = ?
Tn = a + (n 1)d
T10 = 1250 + (10 1)80
= 1250 + (9)80
= 1250 + 720
= RM 1970

Find the sum of the first 13 terms of the arithmetic

progression: 5, 10, 15, .
Find the sum of the sequence; 101, 103, 105, , 115.
Find the sum of the sequence; 5, 3.5, 2, , -10.
The first term of an arithmetic progression is 5 and the
20th term is 62. Find the sum of the first 20 terms of this
progression.
The 4th term of an arithmetic progression is 8. Given that
the sum of the first 12 terms is 126. Find the sum of the
next 8 terms.
The first term of an arithmetic progression is -27. If the
10th term is equal to the sum of the first 9 terms of this
progression, find the common difference and the sum of
the first 20 terms.

Geometric Sequence
Definition

Common Ratio

Sequence of numbers whereby each term(except the

first term) is obtained by multiplying a constant
called the common ratio(r) to its immediate
predecessor.
The common ratio can be either positive or negative
value.
Common Ratio,
r = T2 T1
Tn = arn-1

The nth term

Sum of the first n terms

Sn

a(1 r n )
;r 1
1 r

Sn

a(r n 1)
;r 1
r 1

 To detemine whether given sequence is a geometric

sequence or not, we need to find for more than one

common ratio of the sequence.
If all the common ratio are same then it is a geometric

sequence.

Example:
1.
State whether the sequences below are geometric
sequence or not
a) 15, 45, 135, 405, 1215,
b) 4, 16, 64, 256, 1024,
Solution:
a) r = T2 T1 = 45 15 = 3
r = T3 T4 = 135 45 = 3
b)

The n-th term can be calculate by using the given formula.

Tn = arn-1
Example:
1. Find the 10th term of the sequence: -1, 2, -4, 8, .
solution:
a = -1 , r = -2 &
Tn = arn-1
T10 = (-1)(-2)10-1
= (-1)(-2)9
= (-1)(-512)
= 512

3. Given that the second term of a geometric sequence is -18

and the fourth term is -2. Find the common ratio and the
first term.
Solution:
T2 18
ar 18

21

T4 2

ar 3 2

ar 3
2

ar 18
1
r2
9
r

r = T2 T1 = 16 4 = 4
r = T3 T4 = 64 4 = 4

So, it is a geometric sequence.

So, it is a geometric sequence.

2. Find the number of terms that exists for the geometric

progression: 8, 4, , 1/32.
Solution:
a = 8 , r = , Tn = 1/32 & n = ?
Tn = arn-1
1/32 = (8)(1/2)n-1
1
1
log
log( )
Using log
1/32 8 = (1/2)n-1
256
2
1
1
1/32 8 = (1/2)n-1
log
(n 1) log( )
256
2
1/256 = (1/2)n-1
1
log
8
n-1
(1/2) = (1/2)
256 (n 1)
1
So, 8 = n - 1
log( )
2
n =9
8 n 1
n1

n9

If r = -1/3, then ar = -18

a (-1/3) = -18
a = -18 (-1/3)
a = 54
And
If r = 1/3, then ar = -18
a (1/3) = -18
a = -18 (1/3)
a = -54

1
1

9
3

Solve the following:

1. State whether the sequence below are geometric sequence
or not.
i)
1 1 1
, , ,1,3,...
27 9 3

Sum of the First n-th Terms

To calculate the sum of the first n-th terms, we need to

determine the first term (a), common difference (d)

and the number of term for the given sequence.

ii) 0.1, 0.5, 1, 5,

2. Find the 15th term of the sequence 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, .

The formula are depend on the value of the common

ratio.

3. Given a geometric sequence of 1/9, 1/3, 1, , 81. Find:

i) the 5th term of the sequence
ii) number of terms that exist in the sequence.

1.

Find the sum of the first 8 terms of the geometric

sequence: 8, -24, 72, .

Solution:
a = 8 , r = -3 (is < 1) & S8 = ?
Sn

a(1 r )
;r 1
1 r
n

S8 = 8(1 (3) 8 )
1 (3)
= 13120

Sn

Sn

a(r n 1)
;r 1
r 1

Solve the following:

2. Find the sum of the first 10 terms of the geometric
sequence 4, 8, 16, .
3. Find the sum of the geometric progression below.
10, 5, 2.5, , 5/32.
4. The sum of the first 5 terms of a geometric sequence is
211/27 and the common ratio is 2/3. find the first term of
this geometric sequence.
5. Given the sum of the 1st term and 3rd term of a geometric
sequence is 9/2. The sum of the 2nd and the 4th term is
27/4. find the common ratio and the 1st term.

2.

Aida saves RM 1000 in a saving account that pays 8%

compounded annually. Find the amount in her account at
the end of 5 years.
solution:
a = 1000 , r = 100% + 8% = 108% = 1.08 & T5 = ?
Tn = arn-1
T5 = (1000)(1.08)4
= RM 1360.49
1.

a(1 r n )
;r 1
1 r

Mrs. Gan estimates that the monthly expenses of

a baby will increase by 4% every month. If the
expenses for the first month are estimated to RM
50, determine
a. type of sequences that can be used to
estimate the monthly expenses
b. The expenses for the 25th month
c. the total expenses for the first 12 months

The amount in the account at the end of 5 years is

RM1360.49

 Tutorial 1
Quiz 1