Find the common difference of the arithmetic sequence with the n th term $a _ { n } = 5 - 6 n$.
A) -5
B) -6
C) 6
D) -1
E) 5

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In an arithmetic sequence, the common difference is the difference between two consecutive terms. To find the common difference, we can subtract any two consecutive terms. Let's subtract the (n-1)th term from the nth term:
$$ a_n - a_{n-1} = (5-6n) - \left[5-6(n-1)\right] = -6 $$
Therefore, the common difference is -6, which is choice B.

Find the Common Difference of the Arithmetic Sequence with the N