Question

What term is 1/1024 in the geometric sequence,-1,1/4,-1/6..?

Answer 1

Answer:

$\large\boxed{\text{sixth term is equal to}\ \dfrac{1}{1024}}$

Step-by-step explanation:

The explicit formula for a geometric sequence:

$a_n=a_1r^{n-1}$

$a_n$ - n-th term

$a_1$ - first term

$r$ - common ratio

$r=\dfrac{a_2}{a_1}=\dfrac{a_3}{a_2}=...=\dfrac{a_n}{a_{n-1}}$

We have

$a_1=-1,\ a_2=\dfrac{1}{4},\ a_3=-\dfrac{1}{6},\ ...$

The common ratio:

$r=\dfrac{\frac{1}{4}}{-1}=-\dfrac{1}{4}\\\\r=\dfrac{-\frac{1}{6}}{\frac{1}{4}}=-\dfrac{1}{6}\cdot\dfrac{4}{1}=-\dfrac{2}{3}\neq-\dfrac{1}{4}$

It's not a geometric sequence.

If $a_3=-\dfrac{1}{16}$ then the common ratio is $r=\dfrac{-\frac{1}{16}}{\frac{1}{4}}=-\dfrac{1}{16}\cdot\dfrac{4}{1}=-\dfrac{1}{4}$

Put to the explicit formula:

$a_n=-1\left(-\dfrac{1}{4}\right)^{n-1}$

Put $a_n=\dfrac{1}{1024}$ and solve for n :

$-1\left(-\dfrac{1}{4}\right)^{n-1}=\dfrac{1}{1024}\qquad\text{use}\ a^n:a^m=a^{n-m}\\\\-\left(-\dfrac{1}{4}\right)^n:\left(-\dfrac{1}{4}\right)^1=\dfrac{1}{1024}\\\\-\left(-\dfrac{1}{4}\right)^n\cdot(-4)=\dfrac{1}{1024}\\\\(4)\left(-\dfrac{1}{4}\right)^n=\dfrac{1}{1024}\qquad\text{divide both sides by 4}\ \text{/multiply both sides by}\ \dfrac{1}{4}/\\\\\left(-\dfrac{1}{4}\right)^n=\dfrac{1}{4096}\\\\\dfrac{(-1)^n}{4^n}=\dfrac{1}{4^6}\qquad n\ \text{must be even number. Therefore}\ (-1)^n=1$

$\dfrac{1}{4^n}=\dfrac{1}{4^6}\iff n=6$