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Solutions — Full Answer Key
MathematicsYear 10 · Sequences
Solutions · Full Answer Key
Pack A answers · Pack B answers · Problem-solving worked solutions
Pack A — Answers
Bronze
1.19, 23
2.162, 486
3.Arithmetic ()
4.
5.
6.(a) (b)
7.5, 8, 11, 14
8.2, 6, 18, 54
9.,
10.17
Silver
11.
12.
13.
14. (the 20th term)
15.
16.4, 9, 14, 19
17.
18.31
19.
20.
Gold
21.,
22.
23.
24.,
25.36; square numbers
26.
27.
28.(a) Arithmetic, . (b)
29.
30.
Platinum
31.
32.735
33.,
34. (both equal 17)
35. (i.e. )
36.
37.30;
38.(a) . (b) After 5 hours ()
39.Week 17 (weekly = £53)
40.
Pack B — Answers
Bronze
1.21, 25
2.768, 3072
3.Geometric ()
4.
5.
6.(a) (b)
7.2, 9, 16, 23
8.5, 10, 20, 40
9.,
10.32
Silver
11.
12.
13.
14. (the 20th term)
15.
16.1, 7, 13, 19
17.
18.41
19.
20.
Gold
21.,
22.
23.
24.,
25.125; cube numbers
26.
27.
28.(a) Arithmetic, . (b)
29.
30.
Platinum
31.
32.4100
33.,
34. (both equal 22)
35.
36.
37.35;
38.(a) . (b) After 6 hours ()
39.Week 20 (weekly = £42)
40.
Problem-solving — Worked Solutions
1Problem 1
Answer
(a) 53 (b) Row 11 (51 seats) (c) 438
Full working
Arithmetic with , . So .
(a) seats.
(b) Solve : , so . Row 11 has seats — first row with **at least** 50.
(c) Sum: seats.
(a) seats.
(b) Solve : , so . Row 11 has seats — first row with **at least** 50.
(c) Sum: seats.
2Problem 2
Answer
(a) (b) 19.0 cm (190 mm) (c) 8th bounce (8.0 cm)
Full working
(a) Geometric: drop , . Height of th bounce: .
(b) cm ≈ **19.0 cm**.
(c) Need , i.e. . Check: , . So 8th bounce: cm. **8th bounce**.
(b) cm ≈ **19.0 cm**.
(c) Need , i.e. . Check: , . So 8th bounce: cm. **8th bounce**.
3Problem 3
Answer
(a) ; (b) Year 17 (c) A: £135,000; B: £121,550
Full working
(a) Company A is arithmetic: . Company B is geometric: .
(b) Set . Test years 1–15:
- Year 1: A = 24000, B = 22000.
- Year 5: A = 30000, B = .
- Year 10: A = 37500, B = .
- Year 15: A = 45000, B = .
- Year 17: A = 48000, B = .
Company B overtakes A in **year 17**.
(c) Sum over first 5 years.
- A: .
- B: .
(b) Set . Test years 1–15:
- Year 1: A = 24000, B = 22000.
- Year 5: A = 30000, B = .
- Year 10: A = 37500, B = .
- Year 15: A = 45000, B = .
- Year 17: A = 48000, B = .
Company B overtakes A in **year 17**.
(c) Sum over first 5 years.
- A: .
- B: .
4Problem 4
Answer
(a) (b) (c) No — pattern 100 has 301 dots
Full working
(a) Arithmetic with , . So .
(b) Set : , .
(c) , **not 304**. The student is incorrect.
(b) Set : , .
(c) , **not 304**. The student is incorrect.
5Problem 5
Answer
(a) (b) 10 folds (c) No — only approaches 0 in the limit
Full working
(a) ; halves each fold. .
(b) Need , i.e. . . So **10 folds**: cm².
(c) No: is always **positive** for any finite . The sequence converges to 0 but never reaches it — for any non-zero ε, there is an with , but no finite with .
(b) Need , i.e. . . So **10 folds**: cm².
(c) No: is always **positive** for any finite . The sequence converges to 0 but never reaches it — for any non-zero ε, there is an with , but no finite with .
6Problem 6
Answer
(a) (b)
Full working
(a) Differences: (geometric, ratio 2).
; ; ; .
(b) u_n = u_1 + \sum_{k=1}^{n-1}(\text{kth difference}). The th difference is . Sum: . So . Check ✓.
; ; ; .
(b) u_n = u_1 + \sum_{k=1}^{n-1}(\text{kth difference}). The th difference is . Sum: . So . Check ✓.
7Problem 7
Answer
(a) (b) 155 cards (c) 11 levels (uses 187 cards)
Full working
(a) Arithmetic: , . So .
(b) cards.
(c) Total for levels: . Solve , i.e. .
- : ≤ 400 ✓.
- : > 400 ✗.
So 11 levels, using ** cards** (13 left over).
(b) cards.
(c) Total for levels: . Solve , i.e. .
- : ≤ 400 ✓.
- : > 400 ✗.
So 11 levels, using ** cards** (13 left over).
8Problem 8
Answer
(a) Arithmetic, (b) Geometric, (c) Neither (square), (d) Neither, recursive
Full working
(a) Differences all 4 → arithmetic, .
(b) Ratios all 2 → geometric, .
(c) Differences 3, 5, 7, 9 (not constant) and ratios not constant either, so neither arithmetic nor geometric. Pattern: .
(d) Differences 3, 6, 12, 24 — not arithmetic, but these differences themselves double. Ratios — not constant. Try recursive: : ✓; ✓; ✓. So **recursive rule**: with . (Closed form: .)
(b) Ratios all 2 → geometric, .
(c) Differences 3, 5, 7, 9 (not constant) and ratios not constant either, so neither arithmetic nor geometric. Pattern: .
(d) Differences 3, 6, 12, 24 — not arithmetic, but these differences themselves double. Ratios — not constant. Try recursive: : ✓; ✓; ✓. So **recursive rule**: with . (Closed form: .)
9Problem 9
Answer
(a) (b) — no integer solution; see working (c) No integer common term
Full working
(a) , . So .
(b) Set : . So , .
Since must be a positive integer for a sequence term, the sequences **do not share a term**. However the equation has the (non-integer) solution , at which both would equal .
(c) The integer terms of A around this point: , . Terms of B: , . So — the value 35 appears in **both** sequences, but at different positions. The common value is **35**.
(b) Set : . So , .
Since must be a positive integer for a sequence term, the sequences **do not share a term**. However the equation has the (non-integer) solution , at which both would equal .
(c) The integer terms of A around this point: , . Terms of B: , . So — the value 35 appears in **both** sequences, but at different positions. The common value is **35**.
10Problem 10
Answer
(a) 5, 11, 21, 43 (b) See working (c) Ratios: 3, 1.67, 2.2, 1.91, 2.05 — approach 2
Full working
(a) . . . .
(b) **Proof by induction.** Base cases: (odd), (odd). Inductive step: assume and are odd. Then = (odd) + (even) = odd. So by induction, all terms are odd.
(c) Ratios:
-
-
-
-
-
The ratios appear to **oscillate around 2 and converge to 2**. (In fact , so ratio → 2.)
(b) **Proof by induction.** Base cases: (odd), (odd). Inductive step: assume and are odd. Then = (odd) + (even) = odd. So by induction, all terms are odd.
(c) Ratios:
-
-
-
-
-
The ratios appear to **oscillate around 2 and converge to 2**. (In fact , so ratio → 2.)
11Problem 11
Answer
(a) 55 (b) 55 ✓ (c) 2870 (d) 2869
Full working
(a) .
(b) Formula: ✓.
(c) .
(d) .
(b) Formula: ✓.
(c) .
(d) .
12Problem 12
Answer
(a) (b) mm² (c) mm²
Full working
(a) Geometric with , . So .
(b) . Compute: ; ; . So mm².
(c) Sum of geometric series: . With and : mm².
**Connection to Fibonacci/golden ratio:** the ratios of consecutive Fibonacci numbers approach , which is why nautilus shells, sunflower seed heads, and pine cones all exhibit Fibonacci-like spirals.
(b) . Compute: ; ; . So mm².
(c) Sum of geometric series: . With and : mm².
**Connection to Fibonacci/golden ratio:** the ratios of consecutive Fibonacci numbers approach , which is why nautilus shells, sunflower seed heads, and pine cones all exhibit Fibonacci-like spirals.
