You are close. You have an error:
Your step:
a_n = 21 + (n - 1) - 8
should be:
a_n = 21 + (n - 1) * (-8)
a_n=
-a_n=a_1+(n-1)d--so a_n=21+(n-1)-8
*a_n=-168-8n
why isnt this right?
Your step:
a_n = 21 + (n - 1) - 8
should be:
a_n = 21 + (n - 1) * (-8)
Expand that using the distributive law.
The first term, 21, is not multiplied by -8. Only the terms in parenthesis are multiplied by -8.
b_n=(-2)^(n-1)
In the given sequence 21, 13, 5, -3..., we can observe that the common difference is -8. This is because each term is obtained by subtracting 8 from the previous term.
To find the first term (aā), we can substitute any term of the sequence into the general formula for the nth term of an arithmetic sequence:
a_n = aā + (n-1)d
Let's substitute the first term, which is 21, into the formula and solve for aā:
21 = aā + (1-1)(-8)
21 = aā + 0
aā = 21
Now, we have the first term (aā = 21) and the common difference (d = -8), so we can write the arithmetic sequence in standard form:
a_n = 21 + (n-1)(-8)
a_n = 21 - 8n + 8
a_n = -8n + 29
Therefore, the standard form of the arithmetic sequence 21, 13, 5, -3... is:
a_n = -8n + 29
The previous answer, -168 - 8n, was incorrect because the initial calculation substituted the wrong values into the formula.