Question

How do u know if a problem is arithmetic or geometric?

Answer 1

Geometry deals with shapes and degrees. Arithmetic is the opposite of that

Answer 2

The defining characteristic of an arithmetic sequence is called the common difference.  This just means that the difference between each term and the previous term is a constant.  It has the form:

a(n)=a+d(n-1), a=initial term, d=common difference, n=term number....

The defining characteristic of a geometric sequence is called the common ratio.  This means that the quotient between each term and the previous term is a constant.  It has the form:

a(n)=a*r^(n-1), a=initial term, r=common ratio, n=term number.

So in even simpler terms, an arithmetic sequence is a linear sequence and a geometric sequence is an exponential sequence.