"Full Coverage": Sequences

Question 1
Categorisation: Determine a term of a formula given the position-to-term formula.

[Edexcel GCSE(9-1) Mock Set 2 Spring 2017 1F Q24b, 1H Q7b]

Here are the first 7 terms of a quadratic sequence.

3 6 11 18 27 38 51

The 𝑛 th term of the sequence is 𝑛2 + 2 .

(b) Find the 50th term of the sequence.

..........................

Question 2
Categorisation: Determine an algebraic expression for a term of a sequence given a
term-to-term rule.

[Edexcel New SAMs Paper 3F Q20b, Paper 3H Q3b]

Here are the first six terms of a Fibonacci sequence.

11 23 5 8

The rule to continue a Fibonacci sequence is,

the next term in the sequence is the sum of the two previous terms

The first three terms of a different Fibonacci sequence are

𝑎 𝑏 𝑎+𝑏

Find the 6th term of this sequence, in terms of 𝑎 and 𝑏. Simplify your answer.

..........................

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Question 3
Categorisation: Understand notation for term-to-term rules, i.e. if 𝒖𝒏 is the 𝒏th term
of a sequence, then 𝒖𝒏+𝟏 is the (𝒏 + 𝟏)th term.

[Edexcel GCSE(9-1) Mock Set 3 Autumn 2017 3H Q17]

At the start of year , the quantity of a radioactive metal is 𝑃𝑛 At the start of the following
year, the quantity of the same metal is given by

𝑃𝑛+1 = 0.87𝑃𝑛

At the start of 2016 there were 30 grams of the metal.

What will be the quantity of the metal at the start of 2019?
Give your answer to the nearest gram.

.......................... grams

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Question 5
Categorisation: Determine the 𝒏th term formula of an arithmetic/linear sequence.

[Edexcel GCSE Nov2006-3I Q10b, Nov2006-5H Q2a]

Here are the first five terms of a number sequence.

3 7 11 15 19

Write down an expression, in terms of 𝑛, for the 𝑛 th term of the number sequence.

..........................

Question 6
Categorisation: As above, but involving negative terms.

[Edexcel GCSE Nov2007-3I Q12bi, Nov2007-5H Q6bi Edited]

Here are the first five terms of a number sequence.

–4 –1 2 5 8

Find, in terms of 𝑛, an expression for the 𝑛 th term of this number sequence.

..........................

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Question 8
Categorisation: Determine when the 𝒏th term of two sequences is the same.

[Edexcel GCSE(9-1) Mock Set 3 Autumn 2017 1F Q27]

Here are the first five terms of an arithmetic sequence.

2 7 12 17 22

The 𝑛 th term of a different arithmetic sequence is 4𝑛 + 15

The last term of each sequence is the same number.

There are the same number of terms in each sequence.

Find the number of terms in each sequence.

..........................

Question 9
Categorisation: Determine if a number occurs in a sequence.

[Edexcel GCSE Nov2006-5H Q2b Edited]

Here are the first five terms of a number sequence.

3 7 11 15 19

Adeel says that 319 is a term in the number sequence.

Is Adeel correct?

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Question 10
Categorisation: As above, but for a descending sequence.

[Edexcel GCSE(9-1) Mock Set 3 Autumn 2017 2F Q8b Edited]

Here are the first five numbers in a sequence.

47 41 35 29 23

Sarah says,

“ –100 is not a number in this sequence.”

Is Sarah correct?

Question 11
Categorisation: As with Question 8, but the terms do not need to appear in the same
position.

[Edexcel GCSE Nov2007-3I Q12bii, Nov2007-5H Q6bii Edited]

Here are the first four terms of a number sequence.

2 7 12 17

Here are the first five terms of another number sequence.

–4 –1 2 5 8

Find two numbers that are in both number sequences.

..........................

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Question 12
Categorisation: Find the 𝒏th term formula for a quadratic sequence.

[Edexcel GCSE(9-1) Mock Set 1 Autumn 2016 - 2H Q12a]

Here are the first four terms of a quadratic sequence.

3 8 15 24

Find an expression, in terms of 𝑛, for the 𝑛th term of this sequence.

..........................

Question 13
Categorisation: As above, but where the coefficient of the 𝒏 term is negative.

[Edexcel Specimen Papers Set 1, Paper 2H Q17]

Here are the first 5 terms of a quadratic sequence.

1 3 7 13 21

Find an expression, in terms of 𝑛, for the 𝑛 th term of this quadratic sequence.

..........................

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Question 15
Categorisation: Determine the 𝒏th term of a quadratic sequence in a pictorial
context.

[Edexcel GCSE(9-1) Mock Set 1 Autumn 2016 - 1H Q18]

The diagram shows the first 10 sides of a spiral pattern.

It also gives the lengths, in cm, of the first 5 sides.

The lengths, in cm, of the sides of the spiral form a sequence.

Find an expression in terms of 𝑛 for the length, in cm, of the 𝑛 th side.

..........................

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Answers

Question 1 Question 12
2502 𝑛2 + 2𝑛

Question 2 Question 13
3𝑎 + 5𝑏 𝑛2 − 𝑛 + 1

Question 3 Question 14
20 grams 𝑛 th term = 2𝑛2 − 3𝑛

Question 4 Question 15
𝑊 = 𝑛+2 1 𝑛2 + 1
2

Question 5
4𝑛 − 1

Question 6
3𝑛 − 7

Question 7
4𝑛 + 5

Question 8
18

Question 9
4𝑛 − 1 = 319
𝑛 = 80 ∴ Yes

Question 10
53 − 6𝑛 = −100
6𝑛 = 153 but 153 does not divide by 6.
Therefore yes, not in sequence.

Question 11
Two of 2, 17, 32, 47, 62

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