The 21st term of the arithmetic progression 5, 9, 13 is 85. This can be confirmed using the arithmetic progression formula.
Understanding Arithmetic Progressions
An arithmetic progression (AP) is a sequence of numbers such that the difference between any two consecutive terms is constant. This constant difference is called the common difference.
- First term (a): The first number in the sequence.
- Common difference (d): The constant difference between consecutive terms.
- nth term (an): The term at the nth position in the sequence.
Formula for the nth term of an AP
The formula to find the nth term of an arithmetic progression is:
an = a + (n - 1)d
Where:
- an is the nth term
- a is the first term
- n is the term number
- d is the common difference
Applying the Formula
In the given arithmetic progression 5, 9, 13:
- a = 5 (the first term)
- To find d (the common difference), subtract the first term from the second term: d = 9 - 5 = 4
We want to find the 21st term (a21), so n = 21.
Plugging these values into the formula:
a21 = 5 + (21 - 1) * 4
a21 = 5 + (20) * 4
a21 = 5 + 80
a21 = 85
Therefore, the 21st term of the arithmetic progression is indeed 85, as indicated by the reference.