Printable · GCSE Foundation · ages 14-16

Generating sequences worksheet — GCSE Foundation

Fifteen questions on "generating sequences" — DfE statement A23. Print it, or print three versions so neighbours cannot copy by letter; the key gives the letter for each version.

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Generating sequences worksheet — GCSE Foundation

Maths · GCSE Foundation · A23 · Generating sequences · 15 questions

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1.A sequence begins at 50, and each term after that is found by subtracting 8 from the term before it. Priya says the 8th term of the sequence is negative. Is Priya correct?
(a)No: the 8th term is 50 − 8 × 6 = 2, which is positive.
(b)Yes, but the 8th term is 50 − 8 × 8 = −14.
(c)No: repeated subtraction from 50 can never go negative.
(d)Yes: the 8th term is 50 − 8 × 7 = −6, which is negative.
2.A wall is tiled in rows, and every row uses the same number of tiles. One row uses 10 tiles, two rows use 20 tiles and three rows use 30 tiles. Work out how many tiles are needed for 7 rows.
(a)10
(b)17
(c)70
(d)80
3.Here are the first five terms of an arithmetic sequence: 4, 7, 10, 13, 16. Work out the 9th term.
(a)25
(b)28
(c)27
(d)31
4.A sequence begins at 60, and each term after that is found by subtracting 7 from the term before it. Work out the 5th term of the sequence.
(a)88
(b)39
(c)32
(d)25
5.A sequence has the position-to-term rule: the nth term is 3n. Write down the first four terms of the sequence.
(a)0, 3, 6, 9
(b)3, 6, 9, 12
(c)4, 5, 6, 7
(d)3, 9, 27, 81
6.The nth term of a sequence is n² + 3. Work out the first term of the sequence that is greater than 50.
(a)52
(b)67
(c)39
(d)17
7.Here are the first five terms of an arithmetic sequence: 2, 5, 8, 11, 14. Work out the 8th term.
(a)20
(b)26
(c)24
(d)23
8.The nth term of a sequence is 4n − 3. Work out the 7th term of the sequence.
(a)29
(b)25
(c)28
(d)16
9.Here are the first four terms of an arithmetic sequence: 5, 9, 13, 17. Work out the 5th term.
(a)22
(b)21
(c)25
(d)20
10.A geometric sequence starts at 4, and each term after that is found by multiplying the term before it by 3. Write down the first four terms of the sequence.
(a)4, 12, 15, 18
(b)4, 12, 36, 108
(c)4, 7, 10, 13
(d)12, 36, 108, 324
11.Write down the first four terms of the sequence with nth term 6n − 5.
(a)0, 6, 12, 18
(b)6, 12, 18, 24
(c)1, 7, 13, 19
(d)5, 11, 17, 23
12.A plant is 4 cm tall in week 1. Each week after that, its height increases by 5 cm. Work out the first week in which the plant is taller than 30 cm.
(a)Week 8
(b)Week 7
(c)Week 5
(d)Week 6
13.A theatre's front row has 18 seats. Each row behind has 4 more seats than the row in front. Which row has exactly 62 seats?
(a)11
(b)48
(c)15.5
(d)12
14.The nth term of a sequence is 2n² + 1. Work out the 4th term of the sequence.
(a)33
(b)65
(c)32
(d)17
15.In a sequence, each term is half the term before it. The sequence begins 100, 50, 25. Write down the next term.
(a)0
(b)12.5
(c)12
(d)6.25

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