Checking and securing understanding of geometric sequences
I can recognise the features of a geometric sequence and continue it.
Checking and securing understanding of geometric sequences
I can recognise the features of a geometric sequence and continue it.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Identifying a common ratio between each term can help us identify a geometric sequence.
- Divide each term by its previous consecutive term, if the results are all the same, this is the common ratio.
- If there is a common ratio, then the sequence is geometric.
Keywords
Geometric sequence - A geometric sequence is a sequence with a constant multiplicative relationship between successive terms.
Common ratio - A common ratio is a key feature of a geometric sequence. The constant multiplier between successive terms is called the common ratio.
Common misconception
The common multiplier must be a positive integer for the sequence to be geometric.
The multiplier needs to be the same between consecutive terms but it can be any value. Examples of this can be seen in the lesson.
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
$$2,4,6,8,10, ...$$ -
'Start at $$2$$ and add $$2$$'
$$2,4,8,16,32, ...$$ -
'Start at $$2$$ and double each time'
$$1,2,4,8,16, ...$$ -
'Start at $$1$$ and double each time'
$$1,2,3,4,5, ...$$ -
'Start at $$1$$ and add $$1$$'
$$1,3,5,7,9, ...$$ -
'Start at $$1$$ and add $$2$$'
$$2,0,-2,-4,-6, ...$$ -
'Start at $$2$$ and add $$-2$$'