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Series and Sequences - Sum of a series (2 Viewers)

Lucas_

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Hey, can anybody please help me with this moderately difficult question? If you could do a simple solution with explanations I would be pretty grateful.

The 6th term of an arithmetic series is 23 and the sum of the first 10 terms is 210. Find the sum of 20 terms.

Thanks
 

qwerty44

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Use simultaneous equations with variable a and d.

Then when you solve for a and d just find the sum when n=20

i.e.
a+5d=23
a=23-5d (1)

10/2(2a+9d)=210 (2)


sub (1) in (2)

Solve.
 
Last edited:

MetalTheory

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First, you simplify the equations including the parameters which you need to find:

T6 = 23 = a + (6-1).d
= a + 5d -(1)​

S10 = 210 = 10/2 [2a + (10-1).d]
= 5(2a + 9d)​
42 = 2a + 9d -(2)​

(1)*2

46 = 2a + 10d -(3)

Then, using simultaneous equations, find a and d.

(3)-(2)

d=4

substitute d into (1)

23 = a + 5(4)
= a + 20​
a = 3

Finally, you substitute the values just found into the arithmetic sum equation.

S20 = 20/2 [2(3) + (20-1).4]
= 10(82)​
= 820​

Hopefully that makes sense.

EDIT: Well, looks like someone beat me to it.
 

xDarkSilent

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Both correct :)
Lucas, Just remember your equations
Tn , Sn , S(infinity) . And youll be set for any of these questions :)

Best of luck !
 

Lucas_

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First, you simplify the equations including the parameters which you need to find:

T6 = 23 = a + (6-1).d
= a + 5d -(1)​

S10 = 210 = 10/2 [2a + (10-1).d]
= 5(2a + 9d)​
42 = 2a + 9d -(2)​

(1)*2

46 = 2a + 10d -(3)

Then, using simultaneous equations, find a and d.

(3)-(2)

d=4

substitute d into (1)

23 = a + 5(4)
= a + 20​
a = 3

Finally, you substitute the values just found into the arithmetic sum equation.

S20 = 20/2 [2(3) + (20-1).4]
= 10(82)​
= 820​

Hopefully that makes sense.

EDIT: Well, looks like someone beat me to it.
Hey, I'm not understanding why you have multiplied (1) x 2 in this solution before you solved the simultaneous equations?

Thanks for all the responses!
 

Carrotsticks

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So then the Elimination Method can be used between (1) and (2)
 

Lucas_

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Yeah, I think that makes more sense now carrotsticks.

The worked solution I was looking through had an error; It had (1) multiplied by (2) not by 2.

Thanks all.
 

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