Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Arithmetic Sequence
An arithmetic sequence is a sequence of numbers in which the difference between consecutive terms is constant. This difference is known as the common difference. For example, in the sequence 7, 3, -1, -5, the common difference is -4, as each term decreases by 4 from the previous term.
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General Term Formula
The general term formula for an arithmetic sequence can be expressed as a_n = a_1 + (n - 1)d, where a_n is the nth term, a_1 is the first term, d is the common difference, and n is the term number. This formula allows us to calculate any term in the sequence without needing to list all previous terms.
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Finding Specific Terms
To find a specific term in an arithmetic sequence using the general term formula, substitute the desired term number (n) into the formula. For instance, to find the 20th term of the sequence, you would replace n with 20 in the general term formula, allowing you to compute the value directly.
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