In a geometric sequence, the first term, a1, is equal to 6 , and the third term, a3, is equal to 96 . Which number represents the common ratio of the geometric sequence?r=3r=4r=5r=6
Q. In a geometric sequence, the first term, a1, is equal to 6 , and the third term, a3, is equal to 96 . Which number represents the common ratio of the geometric sequence?r=3r=4r=5r=6
Identify Given Terms: Identify the given terms in the geometric sequence.We are given the first term a1 as 6 and the third term a3 as 96. In a geometric sequence, each term is found by multiplying the previous term by the common ratio r.
Write Formula for Third Term: Write the formula for the third term of a geometric sequence.The third term a3 can be expressed in terms of the first term a1 and the common ratio r as follows:a3=a1⋅r2
Substitute Known Values: Substitute the known values into the formula.We know that a1=6 and a3=96, so we can substitute these values into the formula:96=6×r2
Solve for Common Ratio: Solve for the common ratio r. To find r, we need to divide both sides of the equation by 6: r2=696r2=16
Take Square Root: Take the square root of both sides to solve for r. Since r2=16, we find that r can be either positive or negative square root of 16. However, since a common ratio is typically positive in the context of geometric sequences, we will consider the positive square root: r=16r=4
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