arithmetic or geometric

-10,-8,-6,-4,...

1 answer

The sequence you've provided is \(-10, -8, -6, -4, \ldots\).

To determine whether it is an arithmetic or geometric sequence, we can look at the differences and ratios between the terms:

  1. Arithmetic Sequence: In an arithmetic sequence, the difference between consecutive terms is constant.

    Let's find the difference:

    • \(-8 - (-10) = -8 + 10 = 2\)
    • \(-6 - (-8) = -6 + 8 = 2\)
    • \(-4 - (-6) = -4 + 6 = 2\)

    The difference is consistently \(2\).

  2. Geometric Sequence: In a geometric sequence, the ratio between consecutive terms is constant.

    Let's find the ratios:

    • \(-8 / -10 = 0.8\)
    • \(-6 / -8 = 0.75\)
    • \(-4 / -6 = \frac{2}{3}\)

    The ratios are not constant.

Since the differences between consecutive terms are constant and the ratios are not, the sequence \(-10, -8, -6, -4, \ldots\) is an arithmetic sequence with a common difference of \(2\).