Sequences

Objectives:
Grade D: Write the terms of a sequence given the nth term
Grade C: Find the nth term of a sequence or a series of diagrams
Sequences
Definitions:
Term
A term is a number and / or variable(s) connected with
x and / or separated from anther term by an + or - operation.
Sequence
A list of numbers or diagrams that are connected in some way.
nth term
The general term used to describe a sequence, e.g. 3n + 1
If you are given the nth term you can find the terms of a
sequence.
Coefficient
The number preceding a letter the number that is used to
multiply a letter. e.g. 2n the coefficient is 2
Sequences
The term to term rule is the rule that connects numbers in a sequence:
e.g. Find the term to term rule for this sequence:
5, 7, 9, 11, ...
The dots show that the sequence continues
Each term (consecutive number in the sequence) is 2 more than the
one before it, so the rule is:
+2
Sequences
Now try these:
Find the term to term rule for these sequences:

1) 3, 7, 11, 15, ...

2) 0, 5, 10, 15, ...

3) 16, 13, 10, 7, ...

4) 3, 1,
-
1,
-
3, ...

5) 1, 2, 4, 8, 16,

6) 2, 3.5, 5, 6.5, ...

7) 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, ...
+4
+5
-3
-2
x 2
+1.5
x 10
Sequences
To write the terms of a sequence given the nth term
Given the expression: 2n + 3 write the first 5 terms
In this expression the letter n represents the term number and thus
if we substitute the term number for the letter n we will find value
that particular term.
The first 5 terms of the sequence will be using values for n of
1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
term 1
2 x 1 + 3
5
term 2
2 x 2 + 3
7
term 3
2 x 3 + 3
9
term 4
2 x 4 + 3
11
term 5
2 x 5 + 3
13
Sequences
Now try these:
Write the first 5 terms of these sequences:

1) n + 2

2) 2n + 5

3) 3n - 2

4) 5n + 3

5)
-
4n + 10

6) n
2
+ 2

7) 3n
2

3, 4, 5, 6, 7
7, 9, 11, 13, 15
1, 4, 7, 10, 13
8, 13, 18, 23, 28
6, 2,
-
2,
-
6,
-
10
3, 6, 11, 18, 27
3, 12, 27, 48, 75
Sequences
Look at the nth term
n +2 and the sequence it generates:
3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Find the term to term rule: +1
Look at the nth term
2n +5 and the sequence it generates:
7, 9, 11, 13, 15
Find the term to term rule: +2
You will notice that the coefficient in each expression is the
term to term rule:
n +2 rule +1
The coefficient of n is 1 because if we multiply n by 1 it is still n
2n +5 rule +2
Sequences
To find the nth term of a sequence or a series of diagrams
this shows us that the coefficient for a sequence is the term to
term rule, so we always find this first.
Example:
Find the nth term for the following sequence: 3, 7, 11, 15
The term to term rule is: +4
Therefore the coefficient of n is 4 so we write
4n
However, if we find the first 4 terms of this we get:
4, 8, 12, 16
This doesnt give the correct sequence, but you will notice that
If you subtract 1 from each of these terms you get the correct sequence
The full nth term is therefore: 4n - 1
Sequences
To summarise finding the nth term:
Find the term to term rule
Find how much you need to add or subtract
to get the correct sequence
Check your nth term works for the 2
nd
and 3
rd
terms
Try this:
Find the nth term for the following sequence: 5, 8, 11, 14
Find the term to term rule
+3 Write: 3n
Find how much you need to add or subtract
to get the correct sequence
use n = 1 for the 1
st
term
the 1
st
term would be 3 x 1 = 3 We need to + 2 to make the correct
first term of 5
The nth term becomes 3n + 2
Check this in terms 2 and 3 3 x 2 + 2 = 8 3 x 3 + 2 = 11
Sequences
Now try these:
Find the nth term for these sequences:

1) 4, 6, 8, 10, ...

2) 1, 6, 11, 16, ...

3) 3, 10, 17, 24, ...

4) 10, 19, 28, 37, ...

5) 13, 10, 7, 4, ...

6) 20, 14, 8, 2, ...

2n + 2
5n - 4
7n - 4
9n + 1
-3n + 16
-6n + 26
Sequences
Find the nth term of a series of diagrams
Here is a series of diagrams
Write the number of matches in each pattern
5
9 13
17
Now we have a sequence of numbers
from which we can find the nth term
The term to term rule is
+4
The nth term is therefore
4n + 1
Sequences
Now try these:
Sequences
Now try these:
4
7
13
10
6
10
14
18
16
28
40
3n + 1
4n + 2
12n + 4