SPM Practice Question 2


Question 2:
The third term and the sixth term of a geometric progression are 24 and 7 1 9 respectively. Find
(a) the first term and the common ratio,
(b) the sum of the first five terms,
(c) the sum of the first n terms with n is very big approaching rn ≈ 0.

Solution:
(a)
Given  T 3 =24  a r 2 =24 ...........( 1 ) Given  T 6 =7 1 9  a r 5 = 64 9  ...........( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 1 ) : a r 5 a r 2 = 64 9 24    r 3 = 8 27    r= 2 3

Substitute r= 2 3  into ( 1 )    a ( 2 3 ) 2 =24 a( 4 9 )=24    a=24× 9 4  =54  the first term 54 and the common ratio is  2 3 .

(b)
S 5 = 54[ 1 ( 2 3 ) 5 ] 1 2 3    =54× 211 243 × 3 1    =140 2 3  sum of the first five term is 140 2 3 .

(c)
When 1<r<1 and n becomes  very big approaching  r n 0,   S n = a 1r    = 54  1   2 3      =162
Therefore, sum of the first n terms with n is very big approaching rn ≈ 0 is 162.

(G) Sum to Infinity of Geometric Progressions (Part 2)

(H) Recurring Decimal
Example of recurring decimal:
2 9 = 0.2222222222222..... 8 33 = 0.242424242424..... 41 333 = 0.123123123123.....

Recurring decimal can be changed to fraction using the sum to infinity formula:
S = a 1 r


Example (Change recurring decimal to fraction)
Express each of the following recurring decimals as a fraction in its lowest terms.
(a) 0.8888 ...
(b) 0.171717...
(c) 0.513513513 ….

Solution:
(a)
0.8888 = 0.8 + 0.08 + 0.008 +0.0008 + ….. (recurring decimal)
G P , a = 0.8 , r = 0.08 0.8 = 0.1 S = a 1 r S = 0.8 1 0.1 S = 0.8 0.9 S = 8 9 check using calculator 8 9 = 0.888888....

(b)

0.17171717 …..
= 0.17 + 0.0017 + 0.000017 + 0.00000017 + …..
G P , a = 0.17 , r = 0.0017 0.17 = 0.01 S = a 1 r S = 0.17 1 0.01 = 0.17 0.99 = 17 99 remember to check the answer using calculator

(c)
0.513513513…..
= 0.513 + 0.000513 + 0.000000513 + …..
G P , a = 0.513 , r = 0.00513 0.513 = 0.001 S = a 1 r S = 0.513 1 0.001 = 0.513 0.999 = 513 999 = 19 37

3. The nth Term of Geometric Progressions (Part 2)

(D) The Number of Term of a Geometric Progression
Smart TIPS: You can find the number of term in an arithmetic progression if you know the last term

Example 2:
Find the number of terms for each of the following geometric progressions.
(a) 2, 4, 8, ….., 8192
(b) 1 4 , 1 6 , 1 9 , ..... , 16 729   
(c) 1 2 , 1 , 2 , ..... , 64  

Solution:
(a)
2 , 4 , 8 , ..... , 8192 ( Last term is given) a = 2 r = T 2 T 1 = 4 2 = 2 T n = 8192 a r n 1 = 8192 ( T h e n th term of GP, T n = a r n 1 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) n 1 = 8192 2 n 1 = 4096 2 n 1 = 2 12 n 1 = 12 n = 13

(b)
1 4 , 1 6 , 1 9 , ..... , 16 729 a = 1 4 , r = 1 6 1 4 = 2 3 T n = 16 729 a r n 1 = 16 729 ( 1 4 ) ( 2 3 ) n 1 = 16 729 ( 2 3 ) n 1 = 16 729 × 4 ( 2 3 ) n 1 = 64 729 ( 2 3 ) n 1 = ( 2 3 ) 6 n 1 = 6 n = 7

(c)
1 2 , 1 , 2 , ..... , 64 a = 1 2 , r = 2 1 = 2 T n = 64 a r n 1 = 64 ( 1 2 ) ( 2 ) n 1 = 64 ( 2 ) n 1 = 64 × 2 ( 2 ) n 1 = 128 ( 2 ) n 1 = ( 2 ) 7 n 1 = 7 n = 8


(E) Three consecutive terms of a geometric progression
If e, f and g are 3 consecutive terms of GP, then
g f = f e
Example 3:
If p + 20,   p − 4, p −20 are three consecutive terms of a geometric progression, find the value of p.

Solution:
p 20 p 4 = p 4 p + 20 ( p + 20 ) ( p 20 ) = ( p 4 ) ( p 4 ) p 2 400 = p 2 8 p + 16 8 p = 416 p = 52

SPM Practice Question 13 – 15

Question 13:
An arithmetic progression consists of 10 terms. The sum of the last 5 terms is 5 and the fourth term is 9. Find the sum of this progression.

Solution:




Question 14:
The sum of the first 6 terms of an arithmetic progression is 39 and the sum of the next 6 terms is –69. Find
(a) The first term and the common difference.
(b) The sum of all the terms from the 15th term to the 25th term.

Solution:






Question 15:
An arithmetic progression has 9 terms. The sum of the first four terms is 24 and the sum of all the odd number terms is 55. Find
(a) The first term and common difference,
(b) The seventh term.

Solution:


SPM Practice Question 4 – 6

Question 4:
It is given that -7, h, k, 20,… are the first four terms of an arithmetic progression. Find the value of h and of k.

Solution:





Question 5:
51, 58, 65,... 191 are the first n terms of an arithmetic progression. Find the value of n.

Solution:





Question 6:
Find the number of the multiples of 8 between 100 and 300.

Solution:


The nth Term of Arithmetic Progression (Example 3 & 4)




Example 3:
The volume of water in a tank is 75 litres on the first day. Subsequently, 15 litres of water is added to the tank everyday.
Calculate the volume, in litres, of water in the tank at the end of the 12th day.

Solution:
Volume of water on the first day = 75l
Volume of water on the second day = 75 + 15 = 90l
Volume of water on the third day = 90 + 15 = 105l
75, 90, 105, …..
AP, a = 75, d = 90 – 75 = 15
Volume of water on the 12th day,
T12 = a + 11d
T12 = 75 + 11 (15)
T12 = 240l



Example 4:
The first three terms of an arithmetic progression are 72, 65 and 58.
The nth term of this progression is negative.
Find the least value of n.


Solution:
72, 65, 58
AP, a = 72, d = 65 – 72 = –7
The nth term is negative,
Tn < 0
a + (n – 1) d < 0
72 + (n – 1) (–7) < 0
(n – 1) (–7) < –72
n – 1 > –72/ –7
n – 1 > 10.28
n > 11.28
n must be integer, n = 12, 13, 14, ….

Therefore, the least value of n = 12.

SPM Practice Question 15 & 16


Question 15 (2 marks):
It is given that the nth term of a geometric progression is T n = 3 r n1 2 , rk.  
State
(a) the value of k,
(b) the first term of progression.

Solution:
(a)
k = 0, k = 1 or k = -1 (Any one of these answer).

(b)
T n = 3 2 r n1 T 1 = 3 2 r 11   = 3 2 r 0   = 3 2 ( 1 )   = 3 2



Question 16 (4 marks):
It is given that p, 2 and q are the first three terms of a geometric progression.
Express in terms of q
(a) the first term and the common ratio of the progression.
(b) the sum to infinity of the progression.

Solution:
(a)
T 1 =p,  T 2 =2,  T 3 =q T 2 T 1 = T 3 T 2 2 p = q 2 p= 4 q First term,  T 1 =p= 4 q Common ratio= q 2

(b)
a= 4 q , r= q 2 S = a 1r = 4 q 1 q 2 = 4 q ÷[ 1 q 2 ] = 4 q ÷[ 2q 2 ] = 4 q × 2 2q = 8 2q q 2

SPM Practice Question 6


Question 6 (7 marks):
Diagram shows part of a rectangular wall painted with green, G, blue, B and purple, P subsequently.
The height of the wall is 2 m. The side length of the first coloured rectangle is 5 cm and the side length of each subsequent coloured rectangle increases by 3 cm.


It is given that the total number of the coloured rectangles is 54.
(a) Find
(i) the side length, in cm, of the last coloured rectangle,
(ii) the total length, in cm, of the painted wall.
(b) Which coloured rectangle has an area of 28000 cm2?
  Hence, state the colour of that particular rectangle.

Solution:
(a)
5, 8, 11, …
a = 5, d = 3

(i)
T54 = 1 + (54 – 1)d
= 5 + 53(3)
=164 cm

(ii)
S n = n 2 ( a+l ) S 54 = 54 2 ( 5+164 )  =4563 cm


(b)
Area of the first rectangle
= 2 m × 5 cm
= 200 × 5
= 1000 cm

Area of the second rectangle
= 200 × (5 + 3)
= 1600 cm

Area of the third rectangle
= 200 × (5 + 3 + 3)
= 2200 cm

1000, 1600, 2200, …
a = 1000, d = 600
Tn = 28 000
a + (n – 1)d = 28 000
1000 + (n – 1)600 = 28 000
600(n – 1) = 27 000
n – 1 = 45
n = 46

The colour of that particular rectangle is green.


SPM Practice Question 5


Question 5 (6 marks):
The sum of the first n terms of an arithmetic progression, Sn is given by S n = 3n( n33 ) 2 .  
Find
(a) the sum of the first 10 terms,
(b) the first term and the common difference,
(c) the value of q, given that qth term is the first positive term of the progression.

Solution:
(a)
S n = 3n( n33 ) 2 S 10 = 3( 10 )( 1033 ) 2 S 10 =345

(b)
S n = 3n( n33 ) 2 S 1 = 3( 1 )( 133 ) 2 S 1 =48 T 1 = S 1 =48 First term, a= T 1 =48 T n = S n S n1 T 2 = S 2 S 1 T 2 = 3( 2 )( 233 ) 2 ( 48 ) T 2 =45 Common difference, d = T 2 T 1 =45( 48 ) =3

(c)
First positive term,  T q >0 T q >0 a+( q1 )d>0 48+( q1 )3>0 48+3q3>0 3q>51 q>17 Thus, q=18.


SPM Practice Question 13 & 14


Question 13:
The sum of the first n term of a geometry progression is given by 6(1 – 0.5n ). Find
(a) The fourth term of the progression,
(b) The sum to infinity of the progression.

Solution:





Question 14:
A gardener has the task of digging an area of 800 m2. On the first day he digs an area of 10 m2. On each successive day he digs an area of 1.2 times the area that he dug the previous day, until the day when the task is completed. Find the number of days needed to complete the task.

Solution: