Chapter 2 Geometric Sequences

Name: ____________________ Class: F.6___

Learning Objective Remarks

7.3 understand the concept and the The properties of geometric sequences include:
properties of geometric sequences
 Tn  Tn 1  Tn 1
2

 if T1 , T2 , T3 , … is a geometric sequence, then k T1 , k

T2 , k T3 , …is also a geometric sequence

7.4 understand the general term of a

geometric sequence

7.7 solve related real-life problems Examples: problems about interest, growth or depreciation.

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2.1 Concept and General Terms of Geometric Sequences

A. Concept of Geometric Sequences

Write down the 5th term and 6th term of the following sequences.
a) 7, 21, 63, 189,…
Analysis

In the above figure, every term is the product of its previous term and the number ______.

∴ The 5th term = 189  ______ = ______

The 6th term = ______  ______ = ______

b) 768, 384, 192, 96, …

Analysis

In the above figure, every term is the product of its previous term and the number ______.

∴ The 5th term = 96  ______ = ______

The 6th term = ______  ______ = ______

Such a sequence is called a geometric sequence. And the constant is called the common ratio of the

geometric sequence.

In general,

a geometric sequence is a sequence having a common ratio between any term (except the
first term) and its preceding term.

The common ratio of a geometric sequence may be positive or negative, but not zero.

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Supplementary Example 1 Level 1 (P.2.4)
Determine whether each of the following sequences may be a geometric sequence. If it may, write down its
common ratio.
(a) 2, 6, 18, 54, … 1 1 1 (c) 12, 2.4, 0.48, 0.96, …
(b) 1, ,  , ,…
4 16 64

Level Up Question
It is given that 12, 48, 192, … is a geometric sequence with common ratio k.
(a) Find the value of k.
(b) Determine whether k + 2, k, 2k, … may be a geometric sequence. If it may, write down its
common ratio.

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For a geometric sequence, if we denote the first term as a and the common ratio as r, we
have

T(1) = a

T(2) = T(1) × r =

T(3) = T(2) × r =

T(4) = T(3) × r =

From the above pattern, we can observe that

T(n) = ar n – 1  n is a positive integer.

where a and r are the first term and the common rati o of the sequence respectivel y.

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Supplementary Example 2 Level 1 (P.2.5)
It is given that the first term of a geometric sequence is 5 and the common ratio is 2.
(a) Find the general term Tn of the sequence. (b) Find T6 and T10.

Supplementary Example 3 Level 1 (P.2.6)

It is given that the 6th term and the 7th term of a geometric sequence are 4 and 2 respectively. Find the first
term of the sequence.

Supplementary Example 4 Level 1 (P.2.7)

1
It is given that 5, …, is a geometric sequence. If the sequence has 5 terms, find the two possible values
125
of the common ratio.

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Supplementary Example 5 Level 1 (P.2.7)
How many terms are there in the geometric sequence 3, 12, 48, …, 12 288?

Supplementary Example 6 Level 2 (P.2.8)

It is given that the 5th term of a geometric sequence is 162 and the 9th term is 13 122.
(a) Find the general term Tn of the sequence. (b) Find T12.

T5=162
T9=13122
ar4=162
ar8=13122

Supplementary Example 7 Level 2 (P.2.9)

2
If , a, b, c, d, 54 is a geometric sequence, find 3a + 2b + 2c  d.
9

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Supplementary Example 8 Level 2 (P.2.9)
5 5
Consider the geometric sequence , , 10, …. Let the kth term of the sequence be Tk.
8 2
(a) Find the value of k when Tk = 640. (b) Find the largest term which is smaller than
12 000 in the sequence.

Level Up Question
It is given that 81, …, 16 is a geometric sequence with 5 terms. Dickson claims that there are two
possible common ratios. Do you agree? Explain your answer.

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2.2 Properties of Geometric Sequences
Property I
If T(n – 1), T(n) and T(n + 1) are three consecutive terms of a geometric sequence, then

[T (n)]  T (n  1)  T (n  1)
2

T(n) is called the geometric mean between T(n 1) and T(n + 1).

Supplementary Example 9 Level 1 (P.2.15)

It is given that k + 4, 4, k – 2 is a geometric sequence. Find the values of k.

Supplementary Example 10 Level 2 (P.2.16)

It is given that a, a + 4, b is an arithmetic sequence, and a, 3, b is a geometric sequence, where a and b are
negative numbers. Find a and b.

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Property II
If T(1), T(2), T(3), … is a geometric sequence, then kT(1), kT(2), kT(3), … is also a
geometric sequence, where k is a non-zero constant.

Supplementary Example 11 Level 2 (P.2.18)

It is given that the general term of a geometric sequence is 4(–3)n. A new sequence is formed by multiplying
each term of the geometric sequence by 2. Using the properties of geometric sequences,
(a) find the common ratio of the new sequence, (b) find the general term of the new sequence.

Level Up Question
It is given that 2, y, 8 is a geometric sequence, where y > 0. 3, m, n is another geometric sequence with
common ratio r.
(a) Find the value of y.
(b) Determine whether the sequence 3ny, 4mn, n2y is a geometric sequence. If it is, write down its
common ratio in terms of r.

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2.3 Summation of Geometric Sequences
Consider the following geometric sequence:

a, ar, ar 2 , … , ar n , …
where a and r (r  1) are the first term and the common ratio of the sequence respectivel y.

n – 1
Then, S(n) = a + ar + ar 2
+ … + ar ...... (1)

Multipl y both sides of (1) by r, we have

n – 1
rS(n) = ar + ar 2
+ … + ar + ar n
...... (2)

(1) – (2):

a(1  r ) n
S ( n)  , where r  1
1 r
When r < 1, it is more convenient to use this formula.

a(r  1) n
S ( n)  , where r  1
r 1

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Supplementary Example 12 Level 1 (P.2.22)
Find the sum of all the terms of each of the following geometric sequences.
(a) 3, 15, 75, … to the 7th term (b) 768, –192, 48, … to the 5th term

Supplementary Example 13 Level 1 (P.2.23)

Consider the geometric sequence 1 458, 486, 162, …, 2.
(a) How many terms are there in the sequence? (b) Find the sum of all the terms of the sequence.

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Supplementary Example 14 Level 1 (P.2.24)
1
It is given that the common ratio of a geometric sequence is  and the sum of the first 3 terms is 480.
2
(a) Find the first term of the sequence.
(b) If the sum of the first k terms of the sequence is 430, find the value of k.

Supplementary Example 15 Level 2 (P.2.24)

It is given that the first term and the 5th term of a geometric sequence are –5 and –80 respectively. If the
common ratio is a positive number, find the sum of the 8th term to the 13th term of the sequence.

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Supplementary Example 16 Level 2 (P.2.25)
16
It is given that the product of the 1st term and the 2nd term of a geometric sequence is , and the 3rd term
3
of the sequence is 12. If the sum of the first k terms of the sequence is less than 1 000, find the greatest value
of k.

Level Up Question
(a) Let the common ratio of a geometric sequence be r and the sum of the first k terms be Sk. Express
S10 in terms of r and S5.
(b) If the sum of the first 5 terms and the sum of the first 10 terms of a geometric sequence are 9 and
2 196 respectively, find the common ratio of the sequence.

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2.4 Formula of Sum to Infinity of a Geometric Sequence
Consider the formula for the summation of the first n terms of a geometric sequence with
first term a and common ratio r ( 1):
a(1  r n ) a(r n  1)
S ( n)  or S ( n) 
1 r r 1

We observe that for –1 < r < 1 (r  0),

the value of r n gets closer and closer to 0 as n becomes larger and larger.

Hence, we have
for –1 < r < 1 and n is very large,
a(1  r n ) a
S ( n)  
1 r 1 r
 When the value of r n gets closer and closer to 0, 1 – r n will become close to 1.

This fact can be expressed as:

‘When –1 < r < 1 and n   , r n  0 .

 The s ymbol ‘→’ stands for ‘tends to’, while the symbol ‘∞’ stands for ‘infinit y’.

a
Hence, S (n)  .’
1 r

This means when –1 < r < 1 and n tends to infinity, r n

tends to 0.
a
Hence, S(n) tends to .
1 r

For simplicit y, we write:

a
S ()  for  1  r  1
1 r
where S () represents the sum to infinity of a geometric sequence.

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Supplementary Example 17 Level 1 (P.2.32)
Find the common ratio of each of the following geometric sequences. Hence, determine whether the sum to
infinity of the sequence exists. Find the sum to infinity if it exists.
8 1 1 1
(a) 6, 4, ,… (b) ,  , ,…
3 36 12 4

(c)
4 5
, 1, , … (d) 80, 20, 5, …
5 4

Supplementary Example 18 Level 1 (P.2.33)

It is given that the first term of a geometric sequence is 10 and the sum to infinity is 6. Find the common
ratio of the sequence.

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Supplementary Example 19 Level 2 (P.2.33)
It is given that the first term of a geometric sequence is 10x, the common ratio is x and the sum to infinity
is 4x + 1. Find the value of x.

Supplementary Example 20 Level 2 (P.2.34)

It is given that k, 4k, 12 is a geometric sequence, where k  0.
(a) Find the value of k. (b) Find the sum to infinity of the geometric
sequence 12k, 4k2, k2, ….

Level Up Question
It is given that 2, 4k, 8k2, … is a geometric sequence, where k is a non-zero constant. Can the sum to
infinity of the sequence be equal to 5? Explain your answer.

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2.5 Applications of Geometric Sequences and Their Summation

Supplementary Example 21 Level 1 (P.2.38)

In an experiment, the number of a certain kind of bacteria increases to four times the original number every
hour. If the number of bacteria five hours after the beginning of the experiment was 8 192, find the number
of bacteria at the beginning of the experiment.

Supplementary Example 22 Level 1 (P.2.39)

Mandy’s monthly MPF contribution in the first year is $500. Thereafter, her monthly contribution increases
by 4% every year. What will her total MPF contribution be after 4 years?
(Give the answer correct to the nearest dollar.)

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Supplementary Example 23 Level 2 (P.2.39)
David deposits $3 000 into a bank on the first day of each quarter at an interest rate of 2% p.a. The interest is
compounded at the end of each quarter. Will the total amount received by David be more than $50 000 at the
end of the 4th year? Explain your answer.

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Supplementary Example 24 Level 2 (P.2.41)
A ball falls vertically downward from a height of 8 m. Each time the ball reaches the ground, it rebounds to
a height which is 0.75 of its previous height.
(a) Find the total distance travelled by the ball before the 5th rebound.
(b) Find the least value of k such that the total distance travelled by the ball before the kth rebound exceeds
47 m.

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Supplementary Example 25 Level 2 (P.2.42)
In the figure, △A1B1C1 is a right-angled triangle, where A1B1C1 = 90, A1B1 = 3 cm and B1C1 = 4 cm. The
mid-points of the three sides of △A1B1C1 are joined by straight lines to form another right-angled triangle
A2B2C2, and the mid-points of the three sides of △A2B2C2 are joined by straight lines to form another
right-angled triangle A3B3C3, and so on. Using the same method, infinitely many right-angled triangles are
formed. Let the area of △A1B1C1 be Q1, the area of △A2B2C2 be Q2, and so on.

(a) Find Q1, Q2 and Q3.

(b) Find the sum to infinity of Q1 + Q2 + Q3 + Q4 + ….

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