Geometric Sequences

(Using Standard Formulae)

Jamie Frost
www.drfrost.org
@DrFrostMaths

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Teacher Notes
Prerequisite
Knowledge Future Links
• th term of arithmetic sequences • Geometric series
(with formula) • Sigma notation for sequences
• Sum of terms of an arithmetic
sequence (using formula)
• Logarithms

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Types of Sequences
common ? ?
common ratio Ratio just
means relative
difference
+3+3+3 ×2×2×2 size in terms
of scaling.

2,5,8,11,14 ,… 3,6 ,12,24, 48,…

This is an arithmetic
? ?
This is a geometric
sequence. sequence.
(Covered in this resource)
! A geometric sequence is
one which has a common ratio
between terms.

th
term If we were to th
term If we were to plot
plot the terms the terms in a
in an geometric
arithmetic sequence, they’d
sequence, form an
they’d form a exponential
𝑛
linear graph. 𝑛
graph.
Other Types of Sequences

+1+1+1
+1+2+3+ 4

2,3,5,8,12,… 0 ,1,1,2,3,5,…
This is a quadratic
? ?
This is the Fibonacci
sequence. sequence.

For quadratic sequences, the For Fibonacci-like sequences, the

difference of the difference terms follow a recurrence
(i.e. the second difference) relation because each term can
is constant. be generated using the previous
ones.
We will encounter recurrence
relations later in skill 582. In skill
808, we explore how to find the th
term formula of sequences like
this.
Fundamentals of Sequences

𝑢𝑛 The
e.g.
th
term.? Meaning
would refer to the 3rd term.
is common,

𝑛 The position
term in the
of the
? Meaning
but we could
technically
use any
sequence. variable.
If represented
a sequence,
then would
𝑛=3
? 𝑢3 =8
?
? be its first
term.

2,5,8,11,14 ,…
th
Term of a Geometric Sequence

For arithmetic sequences:

represents the first term
represents the common ratio (i.e. what we multiply by
each time)
represents the position we’re interested in
Therefore:

1st Term 2nd Term 3rd Term ... th

term
×𝑟 ×𝑟 We can

𝑎 𝑎 𝑟 𝑎𝑟
? ? 2? see the
index is
one less
...
𝑎𝑟 ?𝑛 −1
than the
position.

! th term of a geometric
sequence:

where is the first term and is the

common ratio.
Example

a Determine the th term of an geometric sequence

with first term and common ratio .
b Hence determine the 8th term of the sequence.

We recommend explicitly writing

a out

Use the formula

b Once we have the th term

formula, we can substitute into it
as normal.
For the 8th term,
Example Test Your
Understanding
a Determine the term
th
1 [SQA Advanced Higher 2018
formula for the geometric Q14a(i)]
sequence starting A geometric sequence has first
b Hence determine the 12th term and common ratio .
term of the sequence. For this sequence, calculate
the th term.
The terms are halving (2 marks)
each time. Divide the 2nd
term by the 1st to get the
common ratio: .

?
a
𝑛 −1
𝑢𝑛 =𝑎 𝑟

b
Example Test Your
Understanding
The geometric sequence may 2 [OCR A2 June 2018 P1 Q7i Edited]
be presented in a modelled Chris runs half marathons, and is
context. following a training programme to
The population of an island is improve his times. His time for his
in the year 2020. The population first half marathon is minutes. His
in 2021 is , and forms a time for his second half marathon is
minutes. Chris believes that his
geometric progression.
times can be modelled by a
Determine the population in the geometric progression.
year 2030. Chris sets himself a target of
completing a half marathon in less
than minutes. Show that this
model predicts that Chris will
achieve his target on his thirteenth
half marathon.
(4 marks)
Be careful
about years.
If 2020 is the
1st year, 2030 ?
is years later,
i.e. the 11th and so achieved on 13th
year. marathon.
Example Test Your
Understanding
You may be required to determine 3 The 2nd term of a geometric
and given two terms in the progression is and the 6th
sequence. term is . The common ratio is
The 3rd term of a geometric a positive value.
progression is and the 5th term . Determine the 1st term.
The common ratio is a positive
value. Determine the first term of
the progression and the common
ratio. Represent the
information
given in the
question.
Use for each. ?
1st term is
Divide the
4 two
𝑎𝑟 81
2
= equations,
𝑎𝑟 36 which will
make the ’s
cancel.
Substitute this
back into one of
the equations to
find .
Test Your Understanding
Given two terms, you might need to find another general term
other than the first.

4 The 4th term of a geometric progression is and the 7th term

. Determine the 10th term of the sequence.

?
Example Test Your
Understanding
You can use the key property 5 [SQA Advanced Higher 2019
of a geometric sequence to Q17]
determine the value of a The first three terms of a
constant. sequence are given by
The first three terms of a
geometric progression are: The sequence is geometric.
Find the possible first three
Determine the possible values terms of this sequence.
of
The common ratio is
the ratio between
consecutive terms. As
this is ‘common’ it must
remain the same.
Cross If , terms are ?
multiply. i.e.
If , terms are
if then

or
Example
You may need to work out the first term in a geometric progression that
exceeds or falls below a given value.

A bank account has a balance of at the end of Year 1.

It gains interest each year.
It first exceeds at the end of Year .
Determine the value of .

Since we have a power of

, we need to use logs to
solve. Log both sides.

Use the law

Divide. Alternatively, earlier

we can have used a specific
base:

→ 𝒏=𝟕𝟎
Test Your Understanding
6 [Edexcel C2 Jan 2010 Q6b]
A car was purchased for on 1st January.
On 1st January each following year, the value of the car is of its
value on 1st January in the previous year.
The value of the car falls below for the first time years after it
was purchased. Find the value of .
(3 marks)

? and Be careful here, is stated as the

number of years after the car
was first purchased, meaning
that that the th term would be

? As log of a value less

than 1 is negative, the
division reverses the
direction of the
inequality.