The nth Term Name: _______________________________

Objective: - To be to find the formula for the nth term of a sequence.

Number Sequences

1) For each of the following number sequences, write down the next three terms
(numbers) and the rule which tells you how to make the next term.

a) 1 ,3 ,5 , 7 , _____, _____, _____, rule: ____________________

b) 2 , 4 , 6 , 8 , _____, _____, _____, rule: ____________________

c) 6 , 11, 16 , 21, _____, _____, _____, rule: ____________________

d) 4 , 10 ,16 , 22 , _____, _____, _____, rule: ____________________

e) 3 , 7 , 11,15 , 19 , _____, _____, _____, rule: ____________________

f) 4 , 7 ,10 , 13 , _____, _____, _____, rule: ____________________

g) 1 ,5 ,9 , 13 , _____, _____, _____, rule: ____________________

h) 0 , 4 , 8 ,12 , _____, _____, _____, rule: ____________________

i) 5 , 2 ,−1 ,−4 , _____, _____, _____, rule: ____________________

j) −2 ,−4 ,−6 ,−8 , _____, _____, _____, rule: ____________________

k) 7 , 2 ,−3 ,−8 , _____, _____, _____, rule: ____________________

l) 1 ,−6 ,−13 ,−20 , _____, _____, _____, rule: ____________________

m) 11, 8 , 5 ,2 , _____, _____, _____, rule: ____________________

n) 21 , 14 , 7 , 0 , _____, _____, _____, rule: ____________________

o) 29 , 20 ,11 ,3 , _____, _____, _____, rule: ____________________

p) 1.5 , 2.5 ,3.5 , 4.5 , _____, _____, _____, rule: ____________________

q) 0.6 , 0.8 , 1.0 , 1.2, _____, _____, _____, rule: ____________________

r) 2.9 , 4.0 , 5.1 ,6.2 , _____, _____, _____, rule: ____________________

s) 0.1 ,−0.3 ,−0.7 ,−1.1 , _____, _____, _____, rule: ____________________

2) By considering the differences in the following sequences, write down the next
three terms in each case.

a) 1 , 2, 4 , 7 ,11 , _____, _____, _____, b) 1 , 2, 5 , 10 ,17 , _____, _____, _____,

 c) 1 ,3 ,7 , 13 , 21 , _____, _____, _____, d) 1 , 4 , 10 , 19 ,31 , _____, _____, _____,

e) 0 , 6 , 18 ,36 ,60 , _____, _____, _____, f) −1 ,1 , 5 , 11,19 , _____, _____, _____,

g) 1 , 9 ,25 , 49 ,81 , _____, _____, _____, h) 3 , 9 , 15 ,21 , 27 , _____, _____, _____,

i) 2 , 5 ,10 , 17 , 26 , _____, _____, _____, j) 1 , 9 ,19 , 31 , 45 , _____, _____, _____,

k) 2 , 4 , 8 , 16 , 32 , _____, _____, _____, l) 1 ,10 ,100 , 1000 , _____, _____, ____,

3) Look carefully at each number sequence below. Find the next three terms in the
sequence and try to explain the pattern.

a) 1 ,1 , 2 ,3 ,5 , 8 , 13 , _____, _____, _____, ____________________________

b) 1 , 4 , 9 , 16 , 25 , _____, _____, _____, ____________________________

c) 3 , 4 ,7 , 11, 18 , 27 , _____, _____, _____, ____________________________

d) 1 , 8 ,27 ,64 ,125 , _____, _____, _____, ____________________________

Generating Sequences

4) Use each of the following rules to write down the first five terms of a sequence.

a) n+1 for n=1 ,2 , 3 , 4 , 5. _____, _____, _____, _____, _____.

b) n+3 for n=1 ,2 , 3 , 4 , 5. _____, _____, _____, _____, _____.

c) 2 nfor n=1 ,2 , 3 , 4 , 5. _____, _____, _____, _____, _____.

 d) 2 n+5for n=1 ,2 , 3 , 4 , 5. _____, _____, _____, _____, _____.

e) 3 n−2for n=1 ,2 , 3 , 4 , 5. _____, _____, _____, _____, _____.

f) 5 n+2for n=1 ,2 , 3 , 4 , 5. _____, _____, _____, _____, _____.

5) Write down the first five terms of the sequence which has as its n th term:

a) n+2 _____, _____, _____, _____, _____.

b) 3 n _____, _____, _____, _____, _____.

c) 3 n−2 _____, _____, _____, _____, _____.

d) 4 n+5 _____, _____, _____, _____, _____.

e) n2 _____, _____, _____, _____, _____.

f) n2 +5 _____, _____, _____, _____, _____.

6) If the nth term of a sequence is n+ 9 , find the:

a) 4th term: _____ b) 12th term: _____ c) 100th term: _____

7) If the nth term of a sequence is 7 n+ 4 , find the:

a) 4th term: _____ b) 12th term: _____ c) 100th term: _____

8) If the nth term of a sequence is 8 n−2 , find the:

a) 4th term: _____ b) 12th term: _____ c) 100th term: _____

9) If the nth term of a sequence is 11n+3 , find the:

a) 4th term: _____ b) 12th term: _____ c) 100th term: _____

Finding the Formula for the nth Term

10) Find the next two terms and the nth term for each of the following sequences.

a) 2 , 4 , 6 , 8 , 10 , _____, _____, nth term: _____________________

b) 3 , 6 , 9 ,12 , 15 , _____, _____, nth term: _____________________

c) 5 , 10 ,15 , 20 , 25 , _____, _____, nth term: _____________________

d) 1 ,3 ,5 , 7 , 9 , _____, _____, nth term: _____________________

e) 5 , 9 , 13 ,17 , 21 , _____, _____, nth term: _____________________

f) 8 , 13 ,18 ,23 , 28 , _____, _____, nth term: _____________________

g) 2 , 8 ,14 ,20 ,26 , _____, _____, nth term: _____________________

h) 5 , 8 ,11 ,14 ,17 , _____, _____, nth term: _____________________

i) 3 , 7 , 11,15 , 19 _____, _____, nth term: _____________________

j) 21 , 24 , 27 , 30 ,33 , _____, _____, nth term: _____________________

k) 12 ,19 , 26 , 33 , 40 , _____, _____, nth term: _____________________

l) 1 , 9 ,17 ,25 , 33 , _____, _____, nth term: _____________________

11) Find the nth term and the 99th term in each of the following sequences.

a) 5 , 9 , 13 ,17 , 21 , ... nth term: _________________ 99th term: _____

b) 3 , 5 ,7 ,9 , 11, ... nth term: _________________ 99th term:

_____

c) 4 , 7 ,10 , 13 , 16 , ... nth term: _________________ 99th term: _____

d) 8 , 10 ,12 , 14 , 16 , ... nth term: _________________ 99th term:

_____

e) 9 , 13 , 17 ,21 ,... nth term: _________________ 99th term: _____

f) 7 , 15 , 23 ,31 , ... nth term: _________________ 99th term:

_____

12) Find the next two terms and the nth term for each of the following sequences.

a) −1 ,1 , 3 , 5 ,7 , _____, _____, nth term: _____________________

b) −1 , 3 ,7 , 11, 15 , _____, _____, nth term: _____________________

c) −8 ,−3 ,2 , 7 , 12 , _____, _____, nth term: _____________________

d) −14 ,−12 ,−10 ,−8 ,−6 , _____, _____, nth term: _____________________

e) −19 ,−16 ,−13 ,−10 ,−7 , _____, _____, nth term: _____________________
13) The powers of 2 are 21 ,22 , 23 ,2 4 , 25 , …, which gives the sequence 2 , 4 , 8 , 16 , 32,...

a) Continue the sequence for another 5 terms.

2 , 4 , 8 , 16 , 32 , _____, _____, _____, _____, _____,...

b) The nth term is given by 2n . Give the nth term of each of these sequences.

i) 1 ,3 ,7 , 15 , 32 ,… nth term: _______________________

ii) 3 , 5 , 9 ,17 , 33 , … nth term: _______________________

iii) 6 , 12 ,24 , 48 , 96 , … nth term: _______________________

14) The powers of 10 are 101 ,10 2 , 103 , 104 , 105 ,… , which gives the sequence
10 , 100 ,1000 , 10000 , 100000 , … . The nth term is given by 10n .

a) Describe the connection between the number of zeros in each term and the
power of the term.

_______________________________________________________________

b) If 10n =1000000, what is the value of n? _______________________________

c) Give the nth term of these sequences:

i) 15 , 105 ,1005 , 10005 , 100005 , … nth term: __________________________

ii) 9 , 99 , 999 , 9999 , 99999 , … nth term: __________________________

iii) 20 , 200 , 2000 ,20000 , 200000 , … nth term: __________________________

Recognising Terms in a Sequence

 15) Pick any odd number. Pick any other odd number.
+¿ Odd Even
Add the two numbers
together. Is the answer odd or Odd Even
even?
Even
Complete the table.

16) Pick any odd number. Pick any other odd number.
× Odd Even
Multiply the two numbers
together. Is the answer odd or Odd Odd
even?
Even
Complete the table.

17) The number p is odd and the number q is even. State if the following are odd or
even.

a) p+1 : ______ b) q +1 : ______ c) p+q : ______

d) 2 p : ______ e) 2 q+1 : ______ f) qp+ 1 : ______

18) The nth term of a sequence is 2 n.

a) Write down the first and second terms of the sequence: _____, _____, _____, ...

b) Explain why 85 is not a term in the sequence. _____________________________

_______________________________________________________________

19) The nth term of a sequence is 4 n−1 .

a) Write down the first three terms of the sequence: _____, _____, _____, ...

b) Is 32 a term in this sequence? Explain your answer. ________________________

_______________________________________________________________

20) It is known that n is an integer.

a) What is an integer? ________________________________________________

b) Explain why 2 n+1 is always an odd number for all values of n . ________________

_______________________________________________________________
 c) Explain why n2 could be either odd or even. ______________________________

_______________________________________________________________

Summary Exercise

1) Regular pentagons of side length 1 cm are joined together to make a pattern as

shown.

a) Write down the perimeter of each shape.

b) What is the perimeter of patterns like this made from:

i) 6 pentagons: ______________________________

ii) n pentagons: ______________________________

iii)50 pentagons: _____________________________

c) What is the largest number of pentagons that can be put together like this to
have a perimeter less than 1000 cm?

2) a) The powers of 2 are 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, ...

 What is the nth term of this sequence?

b) A supermarket sells four different-sized bottles of water.

i) Describe the number

pattern that the contents
follow

ii) The supermarket

introduces a new size, which
is the next size in the pattern.
100 200 400 800
How much water is there in
ml ml ml ml
the bottle?