SOLUTION: my teacher gave me a homework about sequences.He told us to find the rule between 1,3,6,10,15,21,can you show the working please and i have to sumit it today.ISBN ACTIVE

Algebra ->  Sequences-and-series -> SOLUTION: my teacher gave me a homework about sequences.He told us to find the rule between 1,3,6,10,15,21,can you show the working please and i have to sumit it today.ISBN ACTIVE       Log On


   



Question 169809: my teacher gave me a homework about sequences.He told us to find the rule between



1,3,6,10,15,21,can you show the working please and i have to sumit it today.ISBN ACTIVE MATHEMATICS 2 PG 44 EXERCISE 6

Answer by jim_thompson5910(35256) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
There are many ways to find the sequence, but here's a little trick

1,3,6,10,15,21 ... Start with the given sequence


2,6,12,20,30,42 ... Multiply EVERY term by 2



So we now have the sequence

2,6,12,20,30,42

So if we start at n=1, then when n=1, the term a%5B1%5D is 2. If n=2, the term a%5B2%5D is 6. If n=3, the term a%5B3%5D is 12, etc...

So we have this set up


n123456
Term a%5Bn%5D2612203042



Notice how the term 2 is equal to 1*2 (where 1 is the value of n and 2 is the next number). Also, notice how 6=2*3 (where 2 is the value of n and 3 is the next number). Furthermore, take note that 12=3*4 (where 3 is the value of n and 4 is the next number) etc....

So ANY term in this sequence can be written as n%28n%2B1%29



For instance, let's say that n=4. This would mean that n%28n%2B1%29=4%284%2B1%29=4%285%29=20


So when n=3, then the term is 12



Before we can wrap this up, we need to divide the expression n%28n%2B1%29 by 2 to get %28n%28n%2B1%29%29%2F2. Why? Because we multiplied every term of the original sequence by 2. So we need to divide by 2 to get back to the original expression.


So the formula for the sequence 1,3,6,10,15,21 is a%5Bn%5D=%28n%28n%2B1%29%29%2F2