9th grade · Math · Unit 17 of 17
Sequences
Arithmetic and geometric
What your child practices
Arithmetic and geometric sequences as functions: finding any term, writing a rule, and using a recursive rule.
Alaska content standards learning standard: F-IF.3; F-BF.1 · modeling arithmetic patterns and telling them apart from patterns that grow by multiplying
How we explain it
Children can open this short lesson before they practice.
- Arithmetic sequences add the same difference d.
- Term n = first term + (n − 1) × d.
- Geometric sequences multiply by the same ratio.
Example: What is term 10 of 4, 7, 10, 13, ...? d = 3. 4 + 9 × 3 = 31. Answer: 31
Sequences in Alaska
In the Alaska content standards, this is unit 17 of 17 in 9th grade Math, after Two-Way Tables & Causation.
Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.
Source: Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
Is 4, 16, 64, 256, ... arithmetic or geometric?
- Arithmetic: add 12
- Neither
- Geometric: multiply by 4
Geometric: multiply by 4
Hint: Arithmetic sequences add the same amount. Geometric sequences multiply by the same amount.
Question 2
a(1) = 5 and a(n) = 2 × a(n − 1). What is a(4)?
- 80
- 40
- 37
- 11
40
Hint: Multiply by 2 each time: 5, 10, 20, 40.
Question 3
What is term number 27 of 3, 8, 13, 18, ...?
answer box
133
Hint: Term n = first term + (n − 1) × difference = 3 + 26 × 5.
Question 4
Which rule gives the sequence 7, 11, 15, 19, ... (n = 1, 2, 3, ...)?
- a(n) = 5n + 2
- a(n) = 7n + 4
- a(n) = 4n + 3
- a(n) = 4n + 7
a(n) = 4n + 3
Hint: The difference between terms is the number multiplied by n. Then check n = 1.
Question 5
What is term number 27 of 2, 9, 16, 23, ...?
answer box
184
Hint: Term n = first term + (n − 1) × difference = 2 + 26 × 7.
Question 6
Which rule gives the sequence 6, 11, 16, 21, ... (n = 1, 2, 3, ...)?
- a(n) = 6n + 5
- a(n) = 5n + 6
- a(n) = 5n + 1
- a(n) = 6n
a(n) = 5n + 1
Hint: The difference between terms is the number multiplied by n. Then check n = 1.