Name: _____________________________

Class: _____________ Date: __________

Sequences/Series Multiple Choice Pre-Test

Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

Describe the pattern in the sequence. Find the next three terms.

____ 1 13, 15, 17, 19, ...

A Add 2; 23, 25, 27. C Add –2; 17, 15, 13.

B Multiply by 2; 38, 76, 152. D Add 2; 21, 23, 25.

____ 2 4, 8, 16, 32, ...

A Multiply by 2; 64, 128, 256. C Multiply by 2; 128, 256, 512.

B Multiply by –2; –64, 128, –256. D Add 2; 34, 36, 38.

____ 3 Write a recursive formula for the sequence 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, .... Then find the next term.

A a n = a n − 1 + 2, where a 1 = 8; 18 C a n = a n − 1 − 2, where a 1 = 8; 18
B a n = a n − 1 + 2, where a 1 = 18; 8 D a n = a n − 1 − 2, where a 1 = 2; –2

2 3 4 5 6
____ 4 Write an explicit formula for the sequence , , , , , .... Then find a 14 .
4 7 12 19 42

n − 1 15 n + 1 15
A an = an − 1 − ; C an = 2 ;
7n 199 n + 3 199
an + 1
15 n 14
B an = ; D an = ;
n + 3 199
2 n − 1 2743
3
____ 5 The table shows the predicted growth of a particular bacteria after various numbers of hours. Write an
explicit formula for the sequence of the number of bacteria.
Hours (n) 1 2 3 4 5
Number of
19 38 57 76 95
Bacteria

1
A a n = 19n + 19 C an = n
19
B a n = n + 19 D a n = 19n

____ 6 Suppose you drop a tennis ball from a height of 15 feet. After the ball hits the floor, it rebounds to 85% of
its previous height. How high will the ball rebound after its third bounce? Round to the nearest tenth.

A 9.2 feet C 7.8 feet

B 10.8 feet D 1.9 feet

____ 7 Viola makes gift baskets for Valentine’s Day. She has 13 baskets left over from last year, and she plans to
make 12 more each day. If there are 15 work days until the day she begins to sell the baskets, how many
baskets will she have to sell?

A 193 baskets C 205 baskets

B 156 baskets D 181 baskets

____ 8 For the series ∑ 4n, find the number of terms in the series.
n = 1

A 7 terms C 8 terms
B 16 terms D 9 terms

____ 9 Use summation notation to write the series -1 + 2 - 4 + 8 - 16... for 12 terms.

12 12

A ∑ −1(−2) n
C ∑ −1(2) n−1

n =1 n =1
12 12

B ∑ −1(−2) n−1
D ∑ −1(2) n

n =1 n =1

Algebra II Sequences/Series Pre-Test Page 2

____ 10 Write the explicit formula for the sequence. Then find the fifth term in the sequence: a 1 = 3, r = −3.

A a n = 3 ⋅ (−3) n − 1 ; 243 C a n = 3 ⋅ (3) n ; 243

B a n = −3 ⋅ (3) n − 1 ; –243 D a n = 3 ⋅ (−3) n ; –729

____ 11 You are buying a car for $8,500. The bank offers a 4.5% annual percentage rate, compounded monthly for
5 years. You agree to make $400 payments. What sequence represents the value of this loan at the end of
each of the first 4 months?

A 8131.88, 7762.37, 7391.48, 7019.20 C 8531.88, 8563.87, 8595.98, 8628.22

B 8100, 7700, 7300, 6900 D 8482.50, 8464.21, 8445.10, 8425.13

____ 12 A large asteroid crashed into a moon of a planet, causing several boulders from the moon to be propelled
into space toward the planet. Astronomers were able to measure the speed of one of the projectiles. The
distance (in feet) that the projectile traveled each second, starting with the first second, was given by the
arithmetic sequence 26, 44, 62, 80, . . . . Find the total distance that the projectile traveled in seven seconds.

A 534 feet C 212 feet

B 560 feet D 426 feet

____ 13 Find the 50th term of the sequence 5, –2, –9, –16, ...

A –352 C –338
B –343 D –331

____ 14 Use summation notation to write the series 49 + 54 + 59 + ... for 14 terms.

14 14

A ∑ (49 + 5n) C ∑ (44 + 5n)

n = 1 n = 1
13 44

B ∑ (44 + 5n) D ∑ (49 + 5n)

n = 1 n = 1

Algebra II Sequences/Series Pre-Test Page 3

 1 1 1
____ 15 Write an explicit formula for the sequence 1, , , . . . Then find a 14 .
4 9 16

1 1 1 1
A an = an − 1 − ; C an = ;
2n 196 n + 3 196
an + 1 1 1 1
B an = ; D an = 2 ;
n2 196 n 196

____ 16 Justine earned $17,000 during the first year of her job at city hall. After each year she received a 4% raise.
Find her total earnings during the first five years on the job.

A $3,541.44 C $517,077.48
B $72,189.89 D $92,077.48

____ 17 Write an explicit formula for the sequence 2, 3, 6, 11, 18 ... Then find a 10 .

A a n = a n − 1 + n , 83 C a n = n 2 + 3, 83
B a n = n 2 − 2n + 3, 83 D a n = n 2 + n , 83

____ 18 In June, Cory begins to save money for a video game and a TV he wants to buy in December. He starts
with $20. Each month he plans to save 10% more than the previous month. How much money will he have
at the end of December?

A $154.31 C $228.72
B $251.59 D $189.74

____ 19 Write an explicit formula for the sequence 7, 2, –3, –8, –13, ... Then find a 14 .

A a n = −5n + 12; –53 C a n = −5n + 12; –58

B a n = −5n + 7; –58 D a n = −5n + 7; –63

Algebra II Sequences/Series Pre-Test Page 4

____ 20 Use summation notation to write the series -1 + 2 + 5 + 8 + 11... for 10 terms, then evaluate the sum.

10 10

A ∑ (3n − 1), 125 C ∑ (3n − 4), 125

n =1 n =1
10 10

B ∑ −1(3) n−1
, 125 D ∑ (−3n − 4), 125
n =1 n =1

Algebra II Sequences/Series Pre-Test Page 5