All SSAT Upper Level Math Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #3 : Nth Term Of An Arithmetic Sequence
An arithmetic sequence begins as follows:
Which of the following terms is the first positive term in the sequence?
The thirty-seventh term
The sequence has no positive terms.
The thirty-ninth term
The fortieth term
The thirty-eighth term
The fortieth term
The common difference of the sequence is
,
so the th term of the sequence is
To find out the minimum value for which , set up this inequality:
The first positive term is the fortieth term.
Example Question #4 : Nth Term Of An Arithmetic Sequence
An arithmetic sequence begins as follows:
Which of the following is the first term greater than 100?
The fortieth term
The forty-third term
The forty-first term
The forty-fourth term
The forty-second term
The forty-first term
The common difference of the sequence is
so the th term of the sequence is
To find out the minimum value for which , set up this inequality:
The forty-first term is the correct response.
Example Question #12 : Arithmetic Sequences
An arithmetic sequence begins as follows:
Which of the following terms is the first negative term in the sequence?
The one hundred fourteenth term
The one hundred thirteenth term
The one hundred eleventh term
The one hundred twelfth term
The one hundred tenth term
The one hundred thirteenth term
The common difference of the sequence is
so the th term of the sequence is
To find out the minimum value for which , set up this inequality:
The first negative term is the one hundred thirteenth term.
Example Question #6 : How To Find The Nth Term Of An Arithmetic Sequence
An arithmetic sequence begins as follows:
Which of the following terms is the first negative term in the sequence?
The seventy-fourth term
The seventy-sixth term
The seventy-seventh term
The seventy-fifth term
The seventy-eighth term
The seventy-sixth term
The common difference of the sequence is
so the th term of the sequence is
To find out the minimum value for which , set up this inequality:
The seventy-sixth term is the first negative term.
Example Question #5 : Nth Term Of An Arithmetic Sequence
An arithmetic sequence begins as follows:
Which of the following terms is the first positive term in the sequence?
The twenty-seventh term
The thirtieth term
The twenty-eighth term
The twenty-ninth term
The sequence has no positive terms.
The twenty-ninth term
The common difference of the sequence is
,
so the th term of the sequence is
To find out the minimum value for which , set up this inequality:
The first positive term in the sequence is the twenty-ninth term.
Example Question #7 : Nth Term Of An Arithmetic Sequence
An arithmetic sequence begins as follows:
Which of the following is the first term greater than 100?
The forty-eighth term
The forty-ninth term
The fifty-first term
The forty-seventh term
The fiftieth term
The forty-eighth term
The common difference of the sequence is
so the th term of the sequence is
To find out the minimum value for which , set up this inequality:
The correct response is the forty-eighth term.
Example Question #3 : How To Find The Nth Term Of An Arithmetic Sequence
The tenth and twelfth terms of an arithmetic sequence are 8.4 and 10.2. What is its first term?
The th term of an arithmetic sequence with initial term and common difference is defined by the equation
Since the tenth and twelfth terms are two terms apart, the common difference can be found as follows:
Now, we can set in the sequence equation to find :
Example Question #10 : How To Find The Nth Term Of An Arithmetic Sequence
The eleventh and thirteenth terms of an arithmetic sequence are, respectively, 11 and 14. Give its first term.
The th term of an arithmetic sequence with initial term and common difference is defined by the equation
Since the eleventh and thirteenth terms are two terms apart, the common difference can be found as follows:
Now, we can set in the sequence equation to find :
Example Question #42 : Sequences And Series
The lengths of the sides of ten squares form an arithmetic sequence. One side of the smallest square measures eight inches; one side of the second-smallest square measures one foot.
Give the area of the largest square.
576 square inches
1,936 square inches
484 square inches
784 square inches
2,304 square inches
1,936 square inches
Let be the lengths of the sides of the squares in inches. and , so their common difference is
The arithmetic sequence formula is
The length of a side of the largest square - square 10 - can be found by substituting :
The largest square has sides of length 44 inches, so its area is the square of this, or square inches.
Example Question #11 : Nth Term Of An Arithmetic Sequence
An arithmetic sequence begins as follows:
Give the thirty-second term of this sequence.
The th term of an arithmetic sequence with initial term and common difference is defined by the equation
The initial term in the given sequence is
;
the common difference is
;
We are seeking term .
This term is
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