To determine the rule for generating the next term in the sequence 23, 19.5, 16, 12.5, we first identify the pattern of the sequence.
- Calculate the differences between consecutive terms:
- 19.5 - 23 = -3.5
- 16 - 19.5 = -3.5
- 12.5 - 16 = -3.5
Since the difference between each term is consistently -3.5, this indicates that the sequence is arithmetic, where we add a common difference to get the next term.
Given these observations, the correct statement that describes how to find the next term in the sequence is:
Add the common difference of −3.5.