Which of the following statements correctly determines the rule for generating the next term in the sequence 23, 19.5, 16, 12.5....

Question

A. Add the common ratio of -3.5
B. Multiply by the common ratio of -3.5
C. Add the common ratio of -3.5
D. multiply by the common ratio of -3.5

Answer 1

To determine the rule for generating the next term in the sequence 23, 19.5, 16, 12.5, let's examine how the sequence progresses.

1. From 23 to 19.5, the difference is: \( 23 - 19.5 = 3.5 \)

2. From 19.5 to 16, the difference is: \( 19.5 - 16 = 3.5 \)

3. From 16 to 12.5, the difference is: \( 16 - 12.5 = 3.5 \)

We can see that each term decreases by 3.5. Therefore, we are subtracting 3.5 from each term to get the next term.

The correct statement for generating the next term is: A. Add the common ratio of -3.5.

Note: Although "-3.5" suggests adding a negative value, it effectively means subtracting 3.5 from the current term, which aligns with the observed pattern in the sequence.