The common difference in the arithmetic sequence 8, 5, 2, -1 is -3.
Determining the Common Difference
In an arithmetic sequence, the common difference is the constant value added to each term to get the next term. We can find it by subtracting any term from the term that follows it.
According to the provided reference, to find the common difference, we can perform the following calculations:
- 5 - 8 = -3
- 2 - 5 = -3
- -1 - 2 = -3
Formula for Arithmetic Sequences
The reference also mentions the formula for the nth term (Un) of an arithmetic sequence: Un = U1 + (n-1)d, where U1 is the first term, n is the number of terms, and d is the common difference. While not directly used to calculate the common difference in this case, it highlights the importance of the common difference in defining an arithmetic sequence.
