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Extending arithmetic sequences

Sal extends the arithmetic sequences -8, -14, -20, -26,... and 2, -1, -4, -7, -10,... to find their next terms.

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Video transcript

- [Voiceover] We're told the first four terms of an arithmetic sequence are given. So it goes from negative eight to negative 14 to negative 20 to negative 26. What is the fifth term in the sequence? So we just need to figure out the next term. Well, in arithmetic sequence, each successive term is separated by the same amount. So when we go from negative eight to negative 14, we went down by six and then we go down by six again to go to negative 20 and then we go down by six again to go to negative 26, and so we're gonna go down by six again to get to negative 32. Negative 32. Let's do a couple more of these. The first five terms of the sequence are given. What is the sixth term? Let's see, to go from two to negative one, you subtracted three. Two minus three is negative one. Negative one minus three is negative four. Negative four minus three is negative seven. Negative seven minus three is negative 10. And so negative 10 minus three is negative 13. So hopefully that gives you the hang of things.