What to know

In this lesson, you will work with patterns. Recognizing and extending patterns are
important skills needed for learning concepts related to an arithmetic sequence.

Activity 1: Whats Next?

Each item shows a pattern. Answer the given questions.
1. What is the next shape?

2. What is the next number?

What is the 10th term?

0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20,24, 28, 32, 36

3. What is the next number?

What is the 8th number?

9, 4, -1, -6, -11, -16, -21, -26

4. What is the next number?

What is the 12th number?

1, 3, 9, 27, 81, 243,

5. What is the next number?

What is the 7th number?

160, 80, 40, 20, 10, 5, 5/2

The set of shapes and the sets of numbers in the above activity are called sequences.

Were you able to find patterns and get the next number in the sequence? Let us now
give the formal definition of a sequence. What is a sequence? A sequence is a function
whose domain is the finite set {1, 2, 3,, n} or the infinite set {1, 2, 3, }.

Example:

n 1 2 3 4 5

a(n) 3 -1 1.5 10

This finite sequence has 5 terms. We may use the notation 1 , 2 , 3 to denote a(1), a(2),
a(3), ..a(n), respectively.
Activity 2: Term after Term
Find the first 5 terms of the sequences given the nth term.

. = +
= = 4 = + 4 = + 4 = + 4 = + 4

= 1 + 4 = 2 + 4 = 3 + 4 = 4 + 4 = 5 + 4

=5 =6 =7 =8 =9

. =
= 2 1 = 2 1 = 2 1 = 2 1 = 2 1

= 2(1) 1 = 2(2) 1 = 2(3) 1 = 2(4) 1 = 2(5) 1

=1 =3 =5 =7 =

. =
= 12 3 = 12 3 = 12 3 = 12 3 = 12 3

= 12 3(1) = 12 3(2) = 12 3(3) = 12 3(4) = 12 3(5)

= =6 =3 =0 = -3

. =
= 3 = 3 = 3 = 3 = 3

= 31 = 32 = 33 = 34 = 3 5

= =9 =27 = 81 =243

. = ()
= (2) = (2) = (2) = (2) = (2)

= (2)1 = (2)2 = (2)3 = (2)4 = (2)5

= -2 = = -8 = 16 = -32

How did you find the activity? Did you find it easy to give the first 5 terms of
each sequence? In Activity 3, you will be given the terms of a sequence and you will
be asked to find its nth term. You may now do Activity 3.
Activity 3: Getting to Know You

What is the nth term for each sequence below?

1. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,

= + 2 = + 2 = + 2 = + 2 = + 2

= 1 + 2 = 2 + 2 = 3 + 2 = 4 + 2 = 5 + 2
=3 =4 =5 =6 =7

2. 3, 5, 7, 9, 11,

= 2 + 1 = 2 + 1 = 2 + 1 = 2 + 1 = 2 + 1
= 2(1) + 1 = 2(2) + 1 = 2(3) + 1 = 2(4) + 1 = 2(5) + 1
=3 =5 =7 =9 =11

3. 2, 4, 8, 16, 32,

= = = = =

= = = = =
= =4 =8 =16 =32

4. -1,1,-1,1,-1,

= () = () = () = () = ()

= () = () = () = () = ()

= 1 =1 = -1 =1 = 1

5. 1, , , , ,.
,
Activity 4:
What do we have in common?

We need matchsticks for this group activity. Form a group of 3 students.

1. Below are squares formed by matchsticks?

2. Count the number of matchsticks in each figure and record the results in a
table.
number of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
squares
number of 4 7 1o 13 16 19 22 25 28 31
matchsticks

Guide Questions:
1. Is there a pattern in the number of matchsticks? If there is, describe it.

Yes, it adds up 3 matchsticks as the number of

squares increases.

2. How is each term (number of matchsticks) found?

You can count it one by one but there is an easy way to

find the number of matchsticks by:
= +

3. What is the difference between any two consecutive terms?

Three

The above activity illustrates a sequence where the difference between

any to non consecutive term is a constant. This constant is called the common
difference and the said sequence is called an arithmetic sequence.

The sequences 1, 4, 7, 10,.. and 15, 11, 7, 3,.. are examples of arithmetic sequences since
each one has a common difference od 3 and -4, respectively.
 Activity 5:

More of the Matchstick Activity

Number of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
squares
Number of 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31
matchstick
s

Let us take the number of matchsticks 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, and 31. We see that the
number of matchsticks forms an arithmetic sequence. Suppose we want to find the 20th, 50th, and
100th terms of the sequence. How do we get them? Do you think a formula would help? If so, we
could find a formula for the nth term of the sequence. In this case, it will not be difficult since we
know the common difference of the sequence.

Let us take the first four terms. Let a1 = 4, a2 = 7, a3 = 10, a4 = 13. How do we obtain the
second, third, and fourth terms?

Consider the table below and complete it. Observe how each term is rewritten.

a1 a2 a3 a4 a5 a6 a7 a8 an

4 4+3 4+3+3 4+3+3+3 4+3+3+3+3 4+3+3+3+3+3 4+3+3+3+3+3+3 4+3+3+3+3+3+3+3

How else can we write the terms? Study the next table and complete it.

a1 a2 a3 a4 a5 a6 a7 a8 an
4+0(3) 4+1(3) 4+2(3) 4+3(3) 4+4(3) 4+5(3) 4+6(3) 4+7(3) 4n+3

What is a5? a20? a50? What is the formula for determining the number of matchsticks needed
to form n squares?

a5= 4n+3 a20 = 4n+3 a50 = 4n+3 an

a5 = 4(4)+3 a20 = 4(19)+ 3 a50 = 4(49) + 3

a5= 16 a20 = 80 a50 = 199

In general, the first n terms of an arithmetic sequence with 1 a as first term and d as common
difference are

a1, a1 + d, a1 + 2d, a1 + (n-1)d

If a1 and d are known, it is easy to find any term in an arithmetic sequence by using the rule

an a1 + ( n-1) d
Activity 6:

What is Missing?

A. Find the missing terms in each arithmetic sequence.

1. 3, 12, 21, 30, 39, _

A4 = a1+(n-1)d A5= a1+(n-1)d

A4= 3+ (4-1)9 A5= 3+(5-1)9

A4= 3+(3)9 A5=3+(4)9

A4 = 30 A5= 39

2. 8, 3, -2 , -7, -12

A4= a1+(n-1)d A5= a1+(n-1)d

A4= 8+(4-1)(-5) A5= 8+(5-1)(-5)

A4=8+(3)(-5) A5= 8+(4)(-5)

A4= -7 A5= -12

3. 5, 12, 19, 26, 33

A3= a1+(n-1)d A5= a1+(n-1)d

A3= 5+(3-1)7 A5= 5+(5-1)7

A3= 5+(2)7 A5= 5+(4)7

A3= 19 A5= 33
4. 2,11, 20, 29, 38

A3= a1+(n-1)d A5= a1+(n-1)d

A3= 2+(2-1)9 A5=2+(5-1)9

A3= 2+(1)9 A5=2+(4)9

A3= 11 A5= 38

5. 17, 14, 11, 8, 5

A3= a1+(n-1)d A4= a1+(n-1)d

A3= 17+(3-1)(-3) A4= 17+(4-1)(-3)

A3= 17+(2)(-3) A4= 17+(3)(-3)

A3= 11 A 4= 8

Finding a certain number of terms between two given terms of an arithmetic sequence is a
common task in studying arithmetic sequences. The terms between any two consecutive terms of
an arithmetic sequences are known as arithmetic means.

Example: Insert 4 arithmetic means between 5 and 25

Let a1 =5 and a6= 25. We will insert a2, a3, a4, a5 as shown : 5, a2, a3, a4, a5, 25.

Let a6= a1+ 5d to solve for d

A6= a1+5d
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