2B Geometric sequences and series 33

2B Geometric sequences and series

n Use of the formula for the nth term of a geometric
sequence
A geometric sequence has a common ratio between each term. For example,
3, 6, 12, 24, 48, ... has a common ratio of 2
80, 40, 20, 10, 5, ... has a common ratio of 1
2
2, –6, 18, –54, 162, ... has a common ratio of –3
In general, if the common ratio is r (which can be negative), then
1st term 2nd term 3rd term 4th term 5th term
u1 u 1r u 1r 2 u 1r 3 u 1r 4

From this, we can suggest a formula for the nth term.

KEY POINT 2.4

n−1.
For a geometric sequence with common ratio r, u urn = 1

WORKED EXAMPLE 2.10

A geometric sequence has first term 3 and common ratio –2. Find the 10th term.

Use u=nur n−
1 with u 1 = 3 and r = -2 un3(=2)
− −
n1
1

SO, u10 = 3(
− =2)−1536
9

WORKED EXAMPLE 2.11

The second term of a geometric sequence is 6 and the fourth term is 96. Find the possible
values of the first term and the common ratio.

Use u
=nur 1 n−1 to write the first bit u 2= 6
of information as an equation
Therefore, u1r 16=

Do likewise with the second bit of information u 4 = 96

Therefore, u r 3 = 96
1

u1r 3 96
These are non-linear simultaneous equations Therefore =
We can solve them by dividing them u1r 6
So r2 = 16
There are two numbers which r = ±4
You will see
square to make 16
in Chapter 3
If r 4= then u 1.5=
that these Substitute each of these values into u1r 6= 1

equations can also If r = −4then u 1 = − 1.5

be solved directly on
your GDC.
34 2 Core: Sequences

WORKED EXAMPLE 2.12

Find the number of terms in the geometric sequence 1, 2, 4, 8, ..., 512.

This is a geometric sequence with

u1r= 1,
=2
first term 1 and common ratio 2

Find the formula for the nth term So, un1=2 × −

n1

un512
=
The nth term is 512 Therefore, 2 n512
−1 =

Use the table function on

n 10
From GDC, =
your GDC to search for the
value of n that gives 512

2n512
Note that you could also solve the equation−1 = using logs with the methods
of Section 1C.

n Use of the formula for the sum of the first n terms of a

geometric sequence
Just as for arithmetic sequences, there is a formula for finding the sum of the first n
terms of a geometric sequence. This sum is sometimes called a geometric series.

KEY POINT 2.5

Tip For a geometric sequence with common ratio r:

The second formula u1 (1 − r n )

l Sn = , r ≠1
in Key Point 2.5 1− r
follows from the first or
on multiplication of
u1r( n − 1)
the numerator and Sn = , r ≠1
r −1
l
denominator by −1.
2B Geometric sequences and series 35

Proof 2.2
Prove that for a geometric sequence with common ratio r,
u1(1 − r n )
Sn = .
1− r
Write out the first few
Snu=u +r1u+ r
1 1+…+
2 u1r nu−2r + n−1
terms and the last few 1

Multiply through by r rSnu=r u+1r+ 2 u1r nu−2r u+ r+1 n−n1

1 …+ 1

Subtract to remove all

SnrS uur
n− = − 11
n
the terms in common

Factorize both sides Sn (1 −) (1

r=u−)r 1
n

u1r(1 −) n
Sn =
1−r
= –8.00 (3 s. f.)

At what point in the proof above do you use the fact that r ≠ 1? Can you find a formula for the
sum of the first n terms when r = 1?

WORKED EXAMPLE 2.13

A geometric sequence has first term 16 and common ratio −0.5.

Find the sum of the first eight terms to three significant figures.

u = 16, 0.5
r =−
1

u (1 − r n ) 16 (1 −
( 0.5)
− 8
)
Use Sn = 1 S =
1− r 8 1 −( 0.5)
−
= 10.6 (3 s.f.)

n Use of sigma notation for sums of geometric sequences

WORKED EXAMPLE 2.14
Evaluate
8

∑2 4 . r

r =2

Substitute the first few 8

values of r into the formula: r
r 2= , r 3 = , r 4= ∑2 × 4=(2× +4× )+(2× +…4 ) (2 4 )
2 3 4

r =2
This is the sum of a
geometric sequence with = 32
+ +128+… 512
u1 32
= ,=r 4 and n 7 = 32(1 −4 ) 7
=
1 −4
u1(1 − r n )
Use S
=n = 174752
1− r
36 2 Core: Sequences

As with sums of arithmetic

sequences in Section 2A, you
can check the calculation in Worked
Example 2.14 on your GDC:

n Applications of geometric sequences

Geometric sequences can be used to model any process where something tends to
change by a constant factor.
Often this will be expressed in terms of a percentage change.

KEY POINT 2.6

r
An increase of r% is equivalent to multiplying by the factor 1+
100 .

EXAMPLE 2.15
A model predicts that the number of students taking the IB in a region will increase by 5%
each year. If the number of IB students in the region is currently 12 000, predict the number
taking the IB in 5 years’ time.

A 5% increase corresponds to Number of IB students in

multiplication by 1.05. It is a good 1 year’s time: 12000 1.05
idea to write out the first couple of
terms to see what is happening 2 years’ time: 12000 1.052
This is a geometric sequence with
u112000
= 1.05 and r 1.05
=

Use u=nur 1
n −1 u5ur
1=
4

= (12000 1.05)
×× 1.05 4

≈ 15315

You are the Researcher

A Farey sequence of order n is a list of reduced fractions in order of size between
0 and 1 which have a denominator of at most n. They have many algebraic and
geometric properties and applications which you might like to research.
2B Geometric sequences and series 37

Exercise 2B
For questions 1 to 3, use the method demonstrated in Worked Example 2.10 to find the required term of the geometric
sequence.
u1 = 32, 1
1a u1 = 5, r = 4 . Find u 12. 2a u1 = 5, r =− 5. Find u 6. 3a =− r . Find u 11.
2
b u1 = 2, r = 3. Find u 7. b u1 = 11, r =− 2 . Find u 18. 1. Find u 10.
b u1 = 54,
=− r
3
For questions 4 to 6, use the method demonstrated in Worked Example 2.11 to find all possible values of the first term
and common ratio for the following geometric sequences.
4a u3 = 28, u8 = 896 5a u3 = 12, u9 = 768 6au 2 = 6,
=−u6 96
b u5 = 108, u8 = 2916 b u5 = 45, u7 = 405 u12 =
= 56, 3.5 bu 8
For questions 7 and 8, use the method demonstrated in Worked Example 2.12 to find the number of terms in each of the
geometric sequences described.

7a u1 = 3, r = 5, un = 9375 8 a 3, 6, 12,…, 12 288

b u1 = 17, r = 2, un = 2176 b 5, 15, 45,…, 10 935
For questions 9 to 11, use the method demonstrated in Worked Example 2.13 to find the required sum of the geometric
sequence described.

9a u = 5, r = 3. Find S 7. 10 a u = 96, r = 0.5 . Find S 7. u = 192, r =− 1 . Find S 5.

11 a
1 1 1 4
b u1 = 3, r = 4 . Find S 6. 1 1
b u1 = 162, r = . Find S 5. b u1 = 216, r =− . Find S 6 .
3 3
For questions 12 to 15, use the formula for the sum of terms from a geometric sequence and the method demonstrated in
Worked Example 2.14 to evaluate the following expressions.
5 8

3r 25 r

12 a ∑ r =1 13 a ∑ r =1

4 9
7r 11 3 r

b ∑
r =1 b ∑ r =1

8 7
r
1
73
()
72 × −
r

14 a ∑ r =3
15 a
∑
r =2
2

11 10

( 13)
r
85 r
24 057 × −
b ∑
r =4
b
∑r =6

16 A geometric sequence has first term 128 and common ratio 0.5.
a Find the eighth term of the sequence.
b Find the sum of the first eight terms.
17 The first term of a geometric sequence is 3 and the second term is 6.
a Write down the common ratio.
b Find the sixth term.
c Find the sum of the first 10 terms.
18 In a geometric sequence the second term is 24 and the fifth term is 81.
a Find the common ratio.
b Find the value of the seventh term.
19 A student studies the amount of algae in a pond over time. She estimates the area of algae on the pond on day 1 of
her study is 15 cm2 , and she predicts that the area will double every eight days.
According to her projection, what area will the algae cover at the start of the ninth week?
38 2 Core: Sequences

20 A yeast culture is grown in a sugar solution. The concentration of sugar in the solution at the start of the culture is
1.2mg ml−1, and halves every 2 days. What is the concentration of the sugar solution after 12 days?
21 The first term of a geometric sequence is 8 and the sum of the first two terms is 12. Find the sum of the first five
terms.
22 The time taken for a computer learning program to identify a face decreases by 20% every time it sees that face.
The first time the face is observed it takes 5 seconds to identify it. How long does it take to identify a face on the
10th attempt?
23 During a drought, the volume of water in a reservoir decreases by 8% every day. At the beginning of day one of
the drought it contains 5000 m3:
a Find the volume at the start of the fifth day.
b How many days does it take to use up 3000 m3 of water?
S8
24 The fifth term of a geometric sequence is eight times larger than the second term. Find the ratio .
u1

25 According to a common legend, the game of chess was invented by Sissa ben Dahir of the court
of King Shiram in India. The King was so impressed he asked Sissa to name his reward. Sissa
asked for one grain of wheat on the first square of the chessboard, 2 on the second, 4 on the third and
so on. The King thought that Sissa was being very foolish to ask for so little.
a How many grains would be on the 64th square of the chessboard?
b How many grains would be on the chessboard in total?
c The annual worldwide production of wheat is approximately 7.5 × 1014 g. If one grain of wheat has a mass of
0.1 g, how many years would it take to produce enough wheat to satisfy Sissa’s reward? Give your answer to the
nearest 50 years.

TOK Links
How useful is your intuition as a way of knowing for dealing with very large numbers?
Does relating new knowledge to established knowledge to put big numbers in some more
meaningful context (such as in part c of this question) improve your understanding?

26 Find an expression for the nth term of the geometric sequence xy y x2 ,3y1, 4 −
…
10

27 If u
=13 and un = 2un ur .
+1
find ∑
r =1
28 The first three terms of a geometric sequence are 1, ,x2x x 2 + .
Find the value of the 10th term.
10
6r
.
29 Evaluate ∑
r =1
2r

30 A basketball is dropped vertically. The first bounce reaches a height of 0.6 m and subsequent bounces are 80% of
the height of the previous bounce.
a Find the height of the fifth bounce.
b Find the total distance travelled by the ball from top of the first bounce to the top of the fifth bounce.
c Suggest why this model is no longer accurate by the 20th bounce.
2C Financial applications of geometric sequences and series 39

2C Financial applications of
geometric sequences and series
n Compound interest
One common application of geometric sequences is compound interest. This is
calculated by applying a percentage increase to an initial sum, then applying the same
percentage increase to the new sum and so on.
Interest rates are often quoted annually but then compounded over different periods –
Tip for example, monthly, quarterly or half yearly. The quoted annual interest rate is split
Be warned – this equally amongst each of these periods.
means that the actual
annual interest rate is WORKED EXAMPLE 2.16
not always the same as
the quoted one when A savings account has an annual interest rate of 3% compounded monthly.
it is compounded over Find the amount in the account 18 months after $5000 is invested.
shorter time intervals.

The monthly interest rate will be 3 0.25%

=
12

0.25% is equivalent to
After 18 months the amount in the account
multiplying by 1 +
0.25 = 1.0025 will be 5000 1.0025 $5229.85
18 =
100

This calculation can also be done on your GDC using the TVM (Time Value of Money)
package.

The variables you need to enter are:

n n – the number of time periods
(here 18 months)
n I% – the annual interest rate
n PV – the present value. Conventionally this
is negative for an investment.
n FV is the future value, which is the answer in Worked Example 2.16. Additionally, if
you enter this quantity, the calculator can be used to find one of the other values.
n P/Y – the number of payments per year (here 12 as each period is 1 month). Some
calculators might allow you to specify separately P/Y as the number of payments
made each year and C/Y as the number of compounding periods per year. You
should always make both of these equal for all problems in the IB.
40 2 Core: Sequences

n Annual depreciation and inflation

Tip
An asset, such as a car, will tend to lose value or depreciate. The method of calculating
In the TVM package, the value of an asset after depreciating is exactly the same as for compound interest,
depreciation except that the percentage change will be negative. For example, an annual
corresponds to a
negative interest rate.
depreciation rate of 15% would correspond to multiplication by 1 15− = 0.85.
100
Over time, prices tend to rise. The average percentage increase in prices over a year is
known as the inflation rate.
The effect of inflation is that the value of money decreases or depreciates over time.
The value of money after being adjusted for inflation is known as the value in real
terms. If nothing else is said then you should assume that this is relative to the initial
time.
For example, if the inflation rate is 2% in a given year, then £100 at the beginning of
the year will be worth, in real terms, £98 at the end of the year.

KEY POINT 2.7

The percentage change in real terms, r%, is given by r = c − i, where c% is the given
percentage change and i% is the inflation rate.

CONCEPTS – APPROXIMATION
In fact, the method in Key Point 2.7 for finding the value in real terms is just an approximation
– which is very good for small percentage changes. The true value would be found by
1 +100c
multiplication by .
i
1 +100

WORKED EXAMPLE 2.17

An investment account offers 2% annual interest. Jane invests £1000 in this account for
5 years. During those 5 years there is inflation of 2.5% per annum.
What is the value in real terms of Jane’s investment after those 5 years.

Tip Use =r c− i to find the annual The annual real terms percentage change is
real terms percentage change 2 2.5
− =−0.5%
This can also be
done using the TVM
package with an A decrease of 0.5% means So, after 5 years the value in real terms is
annual interest rate of 1000 0.995 £975
5 ≈
multiplication by −1 0.5 = 0.995
−0.5% . 100

CONCEPTS – APPROXIMATION
In Worked Example 2.17, which quantities are exact and which are uncertain? Would
it be appropriate to give the answer to two decimal places, as is often done when
doing financial arithmetic? Compare the confidence you have in your model in Worked
Examples 2.16 and 2.17.
2C Financial applications of geometric sequences and series 41

Exercise 2C
For questions 1 to 3, use the TVM package on your calculator or the method demonstrated in Worked Example 2.16 to
find the final value of the investment.
1 a $2000 invested at 6% compounded annually for 3 years.
b $3000 invested at 4% compounded annually for 18 years.
2 a $500 invested at 2.5% compounded quarterly for 6 years.
b $100 invested at 3.5% compounded twice-yearly for 10 years.
3 a $5000 invested at 5% compounded monthly for 60 months.
b $800 invested at 4% compounded monthly for 100 months.
For questions 4 and 5, use the TVM package on your calculator to find how long is required to achieve the given final
value.
4 a $100 invested at 5% compounded annually. £1000 required.
b $500 invested at 4% compounded annually. £600 required.
5 a $300 invested at 2% compounded monthly. £400 required.
b $1000 invested at 1.5% compounded monthly. £1100 required.
For questions 6 and 7, use the TVM package on your calculator to find the annual interest rate required to achieve the
given final value. Assume that interest is compounded annually.
6 a €500 invested for 10 years. €1000 required.
b €500 invested for 10 years. €800 required.
7 a €100 invested for 5 years. €200 required.
b €100 invested for 10 years. €200 required.
For questions 8 and 9, use the TVM package on your calculator or the method demonstrated in Worked Example 2.16 to
find the final value of an asset after the given depreciation. Assume this depreciation is compounded annually.
8 a Initial value $1200, annual depreciation 10% for 10 years.
b Initial value $1200, annual depreciation 20% for 10 years.
9 a Initial value £30 000, annual depreciation 15% for 5 years.
b Initial value £30 000, annual depreciation 25% for 5 years.
For questions 10 and 11, use the TVM package on your calculator or the method demonstrated in Worked Example 2.17
to find the real value of cash (that is, no interest paid) subject to the inflation described, relative to the initial value.
10 a $100 after 1 year of inflation at 3%.
b $300 after 1 year of inflation at 2%.
11 a £1000 after 10 years of inflation at 3%.
b £5000 after 10 years of inflation at 5%.
For questions 12 and 15, use the TVM package on your calculator or the method demonstrated in Worked Example 2.17
to find the real value of an investment subject to the inflation described. All interest is compounded annually.
12 a $100 after 1 year of interest at 5% and inflation at 2%.
b $5000 after 1 year of interest at 4% and inflation at 1.4%.
13 a £100 after 1 year of interest at 4% and inflation at 10%.
b £2500 after 1 year of interest at 3% and inflation at 5%.
14 a €1000 after 10 years of interest at 3.5% and inflation at 3%.
b €500 after 5 years of interest at 5% and inflation at 2%.
15 a $1000 after 10 years of interest at 5% and inflation at 10%.
b $5000 after 8 years of interest at 3% and inflation at 5%.
16 A savings account pays interest at 3% per year (compounded annually). If £800 is deposited in the account, what
will the balance show at the end of 4 years?
42 2 Core: Sequences

17 A bank charges 5% annual interest on loans. If a seven-year loan of £10 000 is taken, with no repayments until the
seven years end, how much will need to be paid at the end of the loan term?
18 A savings account has an annual interest rate of 4% compounded monthly. Find the account balance 30 months
after $8000 is invested.
19 A bank loan has a published annual interest rate of 5.8%, compounded monthly. What is the balance 18 months
after a loan of €15 000 is taken out, if no payments are made?
20 A car is bought for £20 000. Each year there is 15% depreciation. Find the expected value of the car after 5 years.
21 £1000 is invested at an annual interest rate of 6%.
a Is the return better if the interest is compounded annually or monthly?
b Over 10 years, what is the difference in the return between these two compounding methods?
22 A car is bought for £15 000. It depreciates by 20% in the first year and 10% in subsequent years. There is an
average of 2.5% inflation each year. What is the real terms value of the car after 5 years? Give your answer to the
nearest £10.
23 A company buys a manufacturing machine for $20 000, with an expected lifetime of 8 years and scrap value
$1500. The depreciation rate is set at 30%. Complete the table of asset values for the 8 years. Give all values to the
nearest dollar.

Year Start-year value ($) Depreciation expense ($) End-year value($)

1 20 000
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

24 £1000 is invested for 5 years in an account paying 6.2% annual interest. Over the same period, inflation is judged
to be 3.2% annually. What is the real terms percentage increase in value of the investment at the end of the 5 years?
25 A bank advertises a loan charging 12% annual interest compounded monthly. What is the equivalent annual
interest rate if compounded annually?
26 A government pledges to increase spending on education by 5% each year.
a If the inflation rate is predicted to 2.5% each year, what is the real terms increase per year?
b If this is pledged for a 5-year period, what is the overall real terms percentage increase in spending on
education?

27 In 1923 Germany suffered from hyperinflation. The annual inflation rate was approximately
1011%.
Use the exact formula for inflation given in the Key Concept box on page 40 to answer the following:
a At the beginning of 1923 a loaf of bread costs approximately 250 marks. How much did it cost at the end of
1923?
b Siegfried had 2 000 000 marks in savings at the beginning of 1923. He invested it in a savings account paying
20% interest. How much was it worth in real terms at the end of 1923?
c Anna had a mortgage of 25 million marks at the beginning of 1923. Interest of 15% was added to this mortgage
during 1923. Anna made no payments. What is the debt in real terms by the end of 1923?
Checklist 43

42 TOOLKIT: Problem Solving

∞
3
Pick any natural number. If it is even, halve it. If it is odd, multiply by three, then add
one, then continually repeat this process with the result. What number will you end
924
π
up with? Use a spreadsheet to come up with a conjecture. For further practice using
spreadsheets to investigate sequences, refer back to the introductory toolkit chapter.
This result has been suspected for some time, but it is still unproven. You might like
to see if you can prove it for any special cases, or investigate how long it takes the
sequence to first reach its endpoint for different starting values.

Checklist
n You should know the formula for the nth term of an arithmetic sequence:
unu= +1 − ( n1) d

n You should know the two versions of the formula for the sum of the first n terms of an arithmetic sequence:
Sn = n ⎡u2⎣ 1 + (−n1) d⎤ ⎦or
2

Sn = n (u 1u+ n)
2
n You should know the formula for the nth term of a geometric sequence:
unur= 1 n−1

n You should know the two versions of the formula for the sum of the first n terms of a geometric sequence:
u1 (1 − r n )
Sn = , r ≠ 1 or
1− r
u1r( )−1 ,
n
Sn = r ≠1
r −1
n You should be able to work with arithmetic and geometric sequences given in sigma notation:
r =n

uru u u1 2 3
un
∑ r =1= + + +…+

— The value of r at the bottom of the sigma (here r = 1) shows where the counting starts.
— The value of r at the top of the sigma (here r = n) shows where the counting stops.
n You should be able to apply arithmetic and geometric sequences to real-world problems. This will often involve
percentage change:
A change of r% is equivalent to multiplying by the factor 1 +100r
1 each year to find the value in
An annual inflation rate of i% is equivalent to multiplying by a factor
real terms. 1 +100i
44 2 Core: Sequences

n Mixed Practice
1 Pierre invests 5000 euros in a fixed deposit that pays a nominal annual interest rate of 4.5%,
compounded monthly, for 7 years.
a Calculate the value of Pierre’s investment at the end of this time. Give your answer correct to two
decimal places.
Carla has 7000 dollars to invest in a fixed deposit which is compounded annually. She aims to double
her money after 10 years.
b Calculate the minimum annual interest rate needed for Carla to achieve her aim.
Mathematical Studies SL May 2015 TZ1 Paper 1 Q10

2 Only one of the following four sequences is arithmetic and only one of them is geometric.
a n = 1, 2, 3, 5, …
b n = 1, 3, 9 , 27 , …
2 4 8
c n = 1, 1, 1 , 1 , …
2 3 4
d n = 1, 0.95, 0.90, 0.85, …
a State which sequence is
i arithmetic,
ii geometric.
b For another geometric sequence e n = –6, –3, – 3 , – 3 , …
2 4
i write down the common ratio;
ii find the exact value of the 10th term. Give your answer as a fraction.
Mathematical Studies SL May 2015 TZ2 Paper 1 Q9

3 In an arithmetic sequence =u8 10, u9 = 12.

a Write down the value of the common difference.
b Find the first term.
c Find the sum of the first 20 terms.
4 In a geometric sequence the first term is 2 and the second term is 8.
a Find the common ratio.
b Find the fifth term.
c Find the sum of the first eight terms.
5 A company projects a loss of $100 000 in its first year of trading, but each year it will make $15 000
more than the previous year. In which year does it first expect to make a profit?
6 A car has initial value $25 000. It falls in value by $1500 each year. How many years does it take for
the value to reach $10 000?
7 One week after being planted, a sunflower is 20 cm tall and it subsequently grows by 25% each week.
a How tall is it 5 weeks after being planted?
b In which week will it first exceed 100 cm?
8 Kunal deposits 500 euros in a bank account. The bank pays a nominal annual interest rate of 3%
compounded quarterly.
a Find the amount in Kunal’s account after 4 years, assuming no further money is deposited. Give
your answer to two decimal places.
b How long will it take until there has been a total of 100 euros paid in interest?
Mixed Practice 45

9 At the end of 2018 the world’s population was 7.7 billion. The annual growth rate is 1.1%. If this
growth rate continues
a estimate the world’s population at the end of 2022
b what is the first year in which the population is predicted to exceed 9 billion?
10 The second term of an arithmetic sequence is 30. The fifth term is 90.
a Calculate
i the common difference of the sequence;
ii the first term of the sequence.
The first, second and fifth terms of this arithmetic sequence are the first three terms of a geometric
sequence.
b Calculate the seventh term of the geometric sequence.
Mathematical Studies SL May 2015 TZ1 Paper 1 Q7

11 The sum of the first n terms of an arithmetic sequence is given by S n = 6n + n2 .

a Write down the value of
i S 1;
ii S 2.
The nth term of the arithmetic sequence is given by u n.
b Show that u 2 = 9.
c Find the common difference of the sequence.
d Find u 10.
e Find the lowest value of n for which u n is greater than 1000.
f There is a value of n for which u 1 + u 2 + … + u n = 1512.
Find the value of n.
Mathematical Studies SL May 2015 TZ2 Paper 2 Q3

12 The first three terms of an arithmetic sequence are x, 2x + 4, 5x. Find the value of x.
13 The audience members at the first five showings of a new play are: 24, 34, 46, 55, 64.
a Justify that the sequence is approximately arithmetic.
b Assuming that the arithmetic sequence model still holds, predict the number of audience members
at the sixth showing.
12
6r .
14 Evaluate ∑
r =1
3r

15 According to a business plan, a company thinks it will sell 100 widgets in its first month trading,
and 20 more widgets each month than the previous month. How long will it take to sell a total of
400 widgets?

Find an expression for the nth term of the geometric sequence a b a b ,a, .
2246
16
17 When digging a rail tunnel there is a cost of $10 000 for the first metre. Each additional metre costs
$500 dollars more per metre (so the second metre costs $10 500). How much does it cost to dig a
tunnel 200 m long?
18 When Elsa was born, her grandparents deposited $100 in her savings account and then on subsequent
birthdays they deposit $150 then $200 then $250 and so on in an arithmetic progression. How much
have they deposited in total just after her 18th birthday?
46 2 Core: Sequences

19 £5000 is invested for 3 years in an account paying 5.8% annual interest. Over the same period,
inflation is judged to be 2.92% annually. What is the real terms percentage increase in value of the
investment at the end of the 3 years?
20 A company purchases a computer for $2000. It assumes that it will depreciate in value at a rate of
10% annually. If inflation is predicted to be 2% annually, what is the real terms value of the computer
after 4 years?
21 Cameron invests $1000. He has a choice of two schemes:
Scheme A offers $25 every year.
Scheme B offers 2% interest compounded annually.
Over what periods of investment (in whole years) is scheme A better than scheme B?
22 In a game, n small pumpkins are placed 1 metre apart in a straight line. Players start 3 metres before
the first pumpkin.

Start

Each player collects a single pumpkin by picking it up and bringing it back to the start. The nearest
pumpkin is collected first. The player then collects the next nearest pumpkin and the game continues
in this way until the signal is given for the end.
Sirma runs to get each pumpkin and brings it back to the start.
a Write down the distance, a 1, in metres that she has to run in order to collect the first pumpkin.
b The distances she runs to collect each pumpkin form a sequence a 1, a 2 , a 3 , … .
i Find a 2. ii Find a 3.
c Write down the common difference, d, of the sequence.
The final pumpkin Sirma collected was 24 metres from the start.
d i Find the total number of pumpkins that Sirma collected.
ii Find the total distance that Sirma ran to collect these pumpkins.
Peter also plays the game. When the signal is given for the end of the game he has run 940 metres.
e Calculate the total number of pumpkins that Peter collected.
f Calculate Peter’s distance from the start when the signal is given.
Mathematical Studies SL November 2014 Paper 2 Q5

23 The seventh, third and first terms of an arithmetic sequence form the first three terms of a geometric
sequence.
The arithmetic sequence has first term a and non-zero common difference d.
a Show that d = a .2
The seventh term of the arithmetic sequence is 3. The sum of the first n terms in the arithmetic
sequence exceeds the sum of the first n terms in the geometric sequence by at least 200.
b Find the least value of n for which this occurs.
Mathematics HL November 2014 Paper 2 Q7
Mixed Practice 47

24 An athlete is training for a marathon. She considers two different programs. In both programs on
day 1 she runs 10 km.
In program A she runs an additional 2 km each day compared to the previous day.
In program B she runs an additional 15% each day compared to the previous day.
a In which program will she first reach 42 km in a day. On what day of the program does this occur?
b In which program will she first reach a total of 90 km run. On what day of the program does this
occur?
25 A teacher starts on a salary of £25 000. Each year the teacher gets a pay rise of £1500. The teacher is
employed for 30 years.
a Find their salary in their final year.
b Find the total they have earned during their teaching career.
c If the inflation rate is on average 1.5% each year, find the real value of their final salary at the end of their
final year in terms of the value at the beginning of their career, giving your answer to the nearest £100.
26 The 10th term of an arithmetic sequence is two times larger than the fourth term.
u1
Find the ratio: .
d

27 If a, b, c, d are four consecutive terms of an arithmetic sequence, prove that 2(b - c)2 = bc - ad.