Geometric sequence and series worksheet

No 1-P2
1 1
In a geometric series, u1 = and u4 = .
81 3
(a) Find the value of r.
(b) Find the smallest value of n for which Sn > 40.

No 2-P2
7
(a) Expand 2
r 4
r
as the sum of four terms.

30
(b) (i) Find the value of 2
r 4
r
.

(ii) Explain why 2
r 4
r
cannot be evaluated.

No 3-P1
Consider the infinite geometric sequence 3, 3(0.9), 3(0.9)2, 3(0.9)3, … .
(a) Write down the 10th term of the sequence. Do not simplify your answer.

(b) Find the sum of the infinite sequence.

No 4-P1
(a) Consider the geometric sequence −3, 6, −12, 24, ….
(i) Write down the common ratio.
(ii) Find the 15th term.
Consider the sequence x − 3, x +1, 2x + 8, ….

(b) When x = 5, the sequence is geometric.

(i) Write down the first three terms.
(ii) Find the common ratio.

(c) Find the other value of x for which the sequence is geometric.

(d) For this value of x, find

(i) the common ratio;
(ii) the sum of the infinite sequence.

No 5-P1
The common ratio of the terms in a geometric series is 2x.
(a) State the set of values of x for which the sum to infinity of the series exists.

(b) If the first term of the series is 35, find the value of x for which the sum to infinity is 40.

No 6-P1
1
Consider the geometric sequence 8, a, 2,… for which the common ratio is .
2
(a) Find the value of a.
(b) Find the value of the eighth term.
(c) Find the sum of the first twelve terms.
No 7-P2
A geometric progression G1 has 1 as its first term and 3 as its common ratio.
(a) The sum of the first n terms of G1 is 29 524. Find n.

1 1 1
A second geometric progression G2 has the form 1, , , …
3 9 27
(b) State the common ratio for G2.

(c) Calculate the sum of the first 10 terms of G2.

(d) Explain why the sum of the first 1000 terms of G2 will give the same answer as the sum of the first 10
terms, when corrected to three significant figures.

(e) Using your results from parts (a) to (c), or otherwise, calculate the sum of the first 10 terms of the
1 1 1
sequence 2, 3 , 9 , 27 …
3 9 27
Give your answer correct to one decimal place.

No 8-P1
The first term of an infinite geometric sequence is 18, while the third term is 8. There are two possible sequences.
Find the sum of each sequence.

No 9-P1
The diagram shows a square ABCD of side 4 cm. The midpoints P, Q, R, S of the sides are joined to form a second
square.
A Q B

P R

D S C
(a) (i) Show that PQ = 2 2 cm.
(ii) Find the area of PQRS.

The midpoints W, X, Y, Z of the sides of PQRS are now joined to form a third square as shown.
A Q B

W X

P R

Z Y

D S C
(b) (i) Write down the area of the third square, WXYZ.
 (ii) Show that the areas of ABCD, PQRS, and WXYZ form a geometric
sequence. Find the common ratio of this sequence.

The process of forming smaller and smaller squares (by joining the midpoints) is continued indefinitely.
(c) (i) Find the area of the 11th square.
(ii) Calculate the sum of the areas of all the squares.

No 10-P1
81
A geometric sequence u1, u2, u3, ... has u1 = 27 and a sum to infinity of .
2
(a) Find the common ratio of the geometric sequence.

An arithmetic sequence v1, v2, v3, ... is such that v2 = u2 and v4 = u4.
N
(b) Find the greatest value of N such that v
n 1
n  0.

No 11-P1

No 12-P1
The sum, Sn, of the first n terms of a geometric sequence, whose nth term is un, is given by
7n  an
Sn = , where a > 0.
7n
(a) Find an expression for un.

(b) Find the first term and common ratio of the sequence.

(c) Consider the sum to infinity of the sequence.

(i) Determine the values of a such that the sum to infinity exists.
(ii) Find the sum to infinity when it exists.
No 13-P1

An arithmetic sequence has first term a and common difference d, d ≠ 0.

The 3rd, 4th and 7th terms of the arithmetic sequence are the first three terms of a geometric sequence.

3
(a) Show that a =  d.
2

(b) Show that the 4th term of the geometric sequence is the 16th term of the arithmetic sequence.