Determine whether the sequence is arithmetic.
-4, 12, 36, 108, 972, ...
A)Arithmetic
B)Not arithmetic

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The common ratio between each term is not constant, therefore it is not an arithmetic sequence. The sequence is not arithmetic because there is no common difference between the terms. The first term is multiplied by 3 to give the second term, then multiplied by 3 again to give the third term, then by 3 again to give the fourth term, and then by 9 to give the fifth term. Therefore, the sequence is geometric, not arithmetic.

Determine Whether the Sequence Is Arithmetic