Arithmetic Progressions – Finding Missing Terms : āϏāĻŽāĻžāĻ¨ā§āϤ⧰ āϧāĻžā§°āĻž – āĻ…āύ⧁āĻĒāĻ¸ā§āĻĨāĻŋāϤ āĻĒāĻĻ āĻŦāĻŋāϚ⧰āĻž


Using the n-th Term Formula to Find a, d, or n


n-āϤāĻŽ āĻĒāĻĻā§° āϏ⧂āĻ¤ā§āϰ āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āϕ⧰āĻŋ a, d, āĻŦāĻž n āĻŦāĻŋāϚ⧰āĻž


Formula / āϏ⧂āĻ¤ā§āϰ:  an​= a + (n1) × d


Where / āϝ’āϤ:



  • a = First term (āĻĒā§ā§°āĻĨāĻŽ āĻĒāĻĻ)

  • d = Common difference (āϏāĻžāϧāĻžā§°āĻŖ āĻĒāĻžā§°ā§āĻĨāĻ•ā§āϝ)

  • n = Number of terms (āĻĒāĻĻā§° āϏāĻ‚āĻ–ā§āϝāĻž)

  • aₙ = n-th term (n-āϤāĻŽ āĻĒāĻĻ)


If any one value is missing, we can easily find it using this formula. āϝāĻĻāĻŋ āϕ⧋āύ⧋ āĻāϟāĻž āĻŽāĻžāύ āύāĻžāĻĨāĻžāϕ⧇, āĻāχ āϏ⧂āĻ¤ā§āϰ āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āϕ⧰āĻŋ āϏāĻšāĻœā§‡ āĻŦāĻŋāϚāĻžā§°āĻŋ āĻĒāĻžāĻŦ āĻĒāĻžā§°āĻŋāĨ¤


Ex 1: Find n (Number of Terms) : āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšā§°āĻŖ 1: n (āĻĒāĻĻā§° āϏāĻ‚āĻ–ā§āϝāĻž) āĻŦāĻŋāϚ⧰āĻž


Q: Which term of the AP 3, 8, 13, 18, ... is 78 ? AP 3, 8, 13, 18, ... ā§° āϕ⧋āύāĻŸā§‹ āĻĒāĻĻ 78 ?


1st: Identify values



  • a = 3

  • d = 8 − 3 = 5

  • aₙ = 78


2nd: Use formula


an​ = a + (n1)d


78 = 3 + (n1)×5


3rd: Solve


78 − 3 = (n − 1) × 5
75 = (n − 1) × 5


75 ÷ 5 = n − 1
15 = n − 1


n = 16


Ans: The 16th term is 78.
āωāĻ¤ā§āϤ⧰: ā§§ā§ŦāϤāĻŽ āĻĒāĻĻāĻŸā§‹ 78āĨ¤


Ex 2: Find a (First Term):āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšā§°āĻŖ 2: a (āĻĒā§ā§°āĻĨāĻŽ āĻĒāĻĻ) āĻŦāĻŋāϚ⧰āĻž


Q: If the 10th term is 52 and the common difference is 5, find the first term.
āϝāĻĻāĻŋ ā§§ā§ĻāĻŽ āĻĒāĻĻ = 52 āφ⧰⧁ d = 5, āĻĒā§ā§°āĻĨāĻŽ āĻĒāĻĻ āĻŦāĻŋāϚāĻžā§°āĻžāĨ¤


1st: Values



  • a₁₀ = 52

  • d = 5

  • n = 10


2nd: Apply formula :


an​=a+(n1)d



52 = a + 45 


3rd: Solve


a = 52 − 45
a = 7


Ans āωāĻ¤ā§āϤ⧰: First term is 7. āĻĒā§ā§°āĻĨāĻŽ āĻĒāĻĻ 7āĨ¤


Quick Exam Trick : āĻĻā§āϰ⧁āϤ āĻĒā§°ā§€āĻ•ā§āώāĻžā§° āĻŸā§ā§°āĻŋāĻ• (āĻ…āϤāĻŋ āϗ⧁⧰⧁āĻ¤ā§āĻŦāĻĒā§‚āĻ°ā§āĻŖ)


To find n quickly (n āĻĻā§āϰ⧁āϤ āĻŦāĻŋāϚāĻžā§°āĻŋāĻŦāϞ⧈)n = an- a/d + 1


Just subtract → divide → add 1. āĻ•ā§‡ā§ąāϞ āĻŦāĻŋā§Ÿā§‹āĻ— → āĻ­āĻžāĻ— → 1 āϝ⧋āĻ— āϕ⧰āĻ•āĨ¤