Arithmetic Progressions â Finding Missing Terms : āϏāĻŽāĻžāύā§āϤ⧰ āϧāĻžā§°āĻž â āĻ āύā§āĻĒāϏā§āĻĨāĻŋāϤ āĻĒāĻĻ āĻŦāĻŋāĻā§°āĻž
Using the n-th Term Formula to Find a, d, or n
n-āϤāĻŽ āĻĒāĻĻā§° āϏā§āϤā§āϰ āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻā§°āĻŋ a, d, āĻŦāĻž n āĻŦāĻŋāĻā§°āĻž
Formula / āϏā§āϤā§āϰ: anâ= a + (n−1) × d
Where / āϝ’āϤ:
- a = First term (āĻĒā§ā§°āĻĨāĻŽ āĻĒāĻĻ)
- d = Common difference (āϏāĻžāϧāĻžā§°āĻŖ āĻĒāĻžā§°ā§āĻĨāĻā§āϝ)
- n = Number of terms (āĻĒāĻĻā§° āϏāĻāĻā§āϝāĻž)
- aâ = n-th term (n-āϤāĻŽ āĻĒāĻĻ)
If any one value is missing, we can easily find it using this formula. āϝāĻĻāĻŋ āĻā§āύ⧠āĻāĻāĻž āĻŽāĻžāύ āύāĻžāĻĨāĻžāĻā§, āĻāĻ āϏā§āϤā§āϰ āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻā§°āĻŋ āϏāĻšāĻā§ āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻžā§°āĻŋ āĻĒāĻžāĻŦ āĻĒāĻžā§°āĻŋāĨ¤
Ex 1: Find n (Number of Terms) : āĻāĻĻāĻžāĻšā§°āĻŖ 1: n (āĻĒāĻĻā§° āϏāĻāĻā§āϝāĻž) āĻŦāĻŋāĻā§°āĻž
Q: Which term of the AP 3, 8, 13, 18, ... is 78 ? AP 3, 8, 13, 18, ... ā§° āĻā§āύāĻā§ āĻĒāĻĻ 78 ?
1st: Identify values
- a = 3
- d = 8 − 3 = 5
- aâ = 78
2nd: Use formula
anâ = a + (n−1)d
78 = 3 + (n−1)×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.
āĻāϤā§āϤ⧰: ā§§ā§ŦāϤāĻŽ āĻĒāĻĻāĻā§ 78āĨ¤
Ex 2: Find a (First Term):āĻāĻĻāĻžāĻšā§°āĻŖ 2: a (āĻĒā§ā§°āĻĨāĻŽ āĻĒāĻĻ) āĻŦāĻŋāĻā§°āĻž
Q: If the 10th term is 52 and the common difference is 5, find the first term.
āϝāĻĻāĻŋ ā§§ā§ĻāĻŽ āĻĒāĻĻ = 52 āĻā§°ā§ d = 5, āĻĒā§ā§°āĻĨāĻŽ āĻĒāĻĻ āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻžā§°āĻžāĨ¤
1st: Values
- aââ = 52
- d = 5
- n = 10
2nd: Apply formula :
anâ=a+(n−1)d
52 = a + 45
3rd: Solve
a = 52 − 45
a = 7
Ans āĻāϤā§āϤ⧰: First term is 7. āĻĒā§ā§°āĻĨāĻŽ āĻĒāĻĻ 7āĨ¤
Quick Exam Trick : āĻĻā§āϰā§āϤ āĻĒā§°ā§āĻā§āώāĻžā§° āĻā§ā§°āĻŋāĻ (āĻ āϤāĻŋ āĻā§ā§°ā§āϤā§āĻŦāĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŖ)
To find n quickly (n āĻĻā§āϰā§āϤ āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻžā§°āĻŋāĻŦāϞā§): n = an- a/d + 1
Just subtract → divide → add 1. āĻā§ā§ąāϞ āĻŦāĻŋā§ā§āĻ → āĻāĻžāĻ → 1 āϝā§āĻ āĻā§°āĻāĨ¤