Supporting Pre-Calculus 11 Students and Teachers: Sampler Contents

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Supporting Pre-Calculus 11 Students and Teachers
SAMPLER CONTENTS
• WNCP Course Structure
• Curriculum Change Overview
• Why Choose McGraw-Hill

Ryerson Pre-Calculus 11?
• Table of Contents
To preview more sample material • Unit 1 Front and End Material

from our Pre-Calculus 11 Student Text
• Chapter 1
and Teacher’s Resource, visit
www.westernmath.ca • Sales Representatives
WNCP Course Structure
Grade 9
Apprenticeship and Foundations

Workplace 10 of Mathematics
and Pre-Calculus
Apprenticeship and Foundations 11 Pre-Calculus 11

Workplace 11
Apprenticeship and Foundations 12 Pre-Calculus 12

Workplace 12
McGraw-Hill Ryerson offers a unique continuum for grades 7-12
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AVAILABLE NOW! 2011 2012
For more information on these products please visit: www.mathlinks.ca and www.westernmath.ca
Curriculum: How much has changed?
1996: 32 outcomes
Of these, 24 have been deleted or significantly changed.
2008: 20 outcomes
Of these, 15 are either significantly changed or are new.
Out of 52 outcomes in total for 1996 and 2008,

there have been changes in 39 of them.
This is a 75% change altogether.
New Topics Deleted Topics

• Linear-quadratic and quadratic-quadratic systems • Financial/consumer math
• Arithmetic sequences and series Moved from • Reasoning/logic/proof
Foundations of Mathematics and Pre-Calculus 10 • Systems of linear equations in three variables
• Rational expressions (equivalent forms, non- • Circle geometry Moved to Grade 9
permissible values, and operations) and equations
• Systems of linear equations in two variables
Moved from Foundations of Mathematics and
Moved to Foundations of Mathematics and
Pre-Calculus 10
Pre-Calculus 10
• Cosine and Sine Laws Moved from Foundations of
• Remainder Theorem and Factor Theorem Moved to
Mathematics and Pre-Calculus 10
Pre-Calculus 12
• Geometric growth/number patterns Moved from
• Operation on functions and compositions of functions
Foundations of Mathematics and Pre-Calculus 10
Moved to Pre-Calculus 12
• Sine and cosine for angles from 90° to 180°
• Non-linear equations (solving algebraically or
Moved from Pre-Calculus 10
graphically)
• Sine and cosine laws Moved from Foundations
• Graph and analyze polynomial and rational functions
of Mathematics and Pre-Calculus 10
Moved to Pre-Calculus 12
• Geometric sequences and series Moved from
Pre-Calculus 12
• Reciprocal functions (linear and quadratic only) aPre-Calculus 11 is based on current
Moved from Pre-Calculus 12 content within the WNCP curriculum
• Absolute value functions Moved from and the needs of Pre-Calculus 11
Pre-Calculus 12 students and teachers
Why choose McGraw-Hill Ryerson
Pre-Calculus 11?
1
Selected by the WNCP; developed by Western Educators
McGraw-Hill Ryerson was selected as the exclusive publisher by the WNCP to develop
custom resources for the new Pre-Calculus, Grades 11 & 12 courses. Throughout
development these resources are rigorously reviewed and vetted by western educators
and the WNCP.
2
A Comprehensive Resource Package
McGraw-Hill Ryerson leads the way with a complete curriculum solution. The McGraw-
Hill Ryerson Pre-Calculus program is a carefully blended mix of print and digital
resources (available in English and French) to meet all learning and teaching needs.
3
Well-constructed Examples and Worked Solutions
Hundreds of Examples and Worked Solutions with thousands of questions and problems
offering teachers and students choice and flexibility for years to come.
4
Variety and Choice in Assessment
The McGraw-Hill Ryerson Pre-Calculus 11 program offers a variety of assessment
opportunities and strategies to accommodate the diversity of students’ needs and to
enhance learning.
5
Engage 21st Century Learners
Meaningful and relevant contexts engage students throughout the student text, while
the digital and online pieces provide unique opportunities to engage students and
allow for learning, reviewing, and self-assessing 24/7.
Table of Contents
A Tour of Your Textbook Chapter 6 Rational Expressions and
Unit 1 Patterns Equations
Chapter 1 Sequences and Series 6.1 Rational Expressions
1.1 Arithmetic Sequences 6.2 Multiplying and Dividing Rational Expressions
1.2 Arithmetic Series 6.3 Adding and Subtracting Rational Expressions
1.3 Geometric Sequences 6.4 Rational Equations
1.4 Geometric Series Chapter 6 Review
1.5 Infinite Geometric Series Chapter 6 Practice Test
Chapter 1 Review
Chapter 1 Practice Test Chapter 7 Absolute Value and Reciprocal
Unit 1 Project Functions
7.1 Absolute Value
Chapter 2 Trigonometry 7.2 Absolute Value Functions
2.1 Angles in Standard Position 7.3 Absolute Value Equations
2.2 Trigonometric Ratios of Any Angle 7.4 Reciprocal Functions
2.3 The Sine Law Chapter 7 Review
2.4 The Cosine Law Chapter 7 Practice Test
Chapter 2 Review Unit 3 Project Wrap-Up
Chapter 2 Practice Test Cumulative Review,
Unit 1 Project Chapters 5—7
Unit 1 Project Wrap-Up Unit 3 Test
Cumulative Review, Chapters 1—2
Unit 1 Test Unit 4 Systems of Equations
and Inequalities
Unit 2 Quadratics Chapter 8 Systems of Equations
Chapter 3 Quadratic Functions 8.1 Solving Systems of Equations Graphically
3.1 Investigating Quadratic Functions in Vertex Form 8.2 Solving Systems Equations Algebraically
3.2 Investigating Quadratic Functions in Standard Form Chapter 8 Review
3.3 Completing the Square Chapter 8 Practice Test
Chapter 3 Review Unit 4 Project
Chapter 3 Practice Test
Chapter 9 Linear and Quadratic Inequalities
Chapter 4 Quadratic Equations 9.1 Linear Inequalities in Two Variables
4.1 Graphical Solutions of Quadratic Equations 9.2 Quadratic Inequalities in One Variable
4.2 Factoring Quadratic Equations 9.3 Quadratic Inequalities in Two Variables
4.3 Solving Quadratic Equations by Completing the Square Chapter 9 Review
4.4 The Quadratic Formula Chapter 9 Practice Test
Chapter 4 Review Unit 4 Project
Chapter 4 Practice Test Unit 4 Project Wrap-Up
Unit 2 Project Wrap-Up Cumulative Review, Chapters 8—9
Cumulative Review, Unit 4 Test
Chapters 3—4 Answers
Unit 2 Test Glossary
Unit 3 Functions and Equations

Chapter 5 Radical Expressions and Equations
5.1 Working With Radicals
5.2 Multiplying and Dividing Radical Expressions
5.3 Radical Equations
Chapter 5 Review
Unit 1
Patterns
Many problems are solved
using patterns. Economic
and resource trends may be
based on sequences and series.
Seismic exploration identifies
underground phenomena, such
as caves, oil pockets, and rock
layers, by transmitting sound
into the earth and timing the
echo of the vibration. Surveyors
use triangulation and the laws
of trigonometry to determine
distances between inaccessible
points. All of these activities
use patterns and aspects of the
mathematics you will encounter
in this unit.
Looking Ahead
In this unit, you will solve
problems involving…
• arithmetic sequences
and series
• geometric sequences
and series
• inﬁnite geometric series
• sine and cosine laws
2 MHR • Unit 1 Patterns
01PC11_Chapter01_4th_B.indd 2 5/28/10 11:51:38 AM

Unit 1 Project Canada’s Natural Resources
Canada is a country rich with natural resources. Petroleum, minerals, and forests are
found in abundance in the Canadian landscape. Canada is one of the world’s leading
exporters of minerals, mineral products, and forest products. Resource development
has been a mainstay of Canada’s economy for many years.
In this project, you will explore one of Canada’s natural resources from the categories
of petroleum, minerals, or forestry. You will collect and present data related to your
chosen resource to meet the following criteria:
• Include a log of the journey leading to the discovery of your resource.
• In Chapter 1, you will provide data on the production of your natural resource. Here
you will apply your knowledge of sequences and series to show how production has
increased or decreased over time, and make predictions about future development of
your chosen resource.
• In Chapter 2, you will use skills developed with trigonometry, including the sine law
and the cosine law to explore the area where your resource was discovered. You will
then explore the proposed site of your natural resource.
At the end of your project, you will encourage potential investors to participate in
the development of your resource. Your final project may take many forms. It may be
a written or visual presentation, a brochure, a video production, or a computer slide
show. Or, you could use the interactive features of a whiteboard.
In the Project Corner box at the end of most sections, you will find information and
notes about Canada’s natural resources. You can use this information to help gather
data and facts about your chosen resource.
Unit 1 Patterns • MHR 3

CHAPTER
1 Sequences and Series

Many patterns and designs linked to mathematics are found in nature
and the human body. Certain patterns occur more often than others.
Logistic spirals, such as the Golden Mean spiral, are based on the
Fibonacci number sequence. The Fibonacci sequence is often called
Nature’s Numbers.
13 8
8 8
13
2 1
2 1
1
1 5
3
3 5
The pattern of this logistic spiral is found in the chambered nautilus,

the inner ear, star clusters, cloud patterns, and whirlpools. Seed
growth, leaves on stems, petals on flowers, branch formations, and
rabbit reproduction also appear to be modelled after this logistic
spiral pattern.
There are many different kinds of sequences. In this chapter, you will
learn about sequences that can be described by mathematical rules.
We b Link
To learn
earn more about
a the Fibonacci sequence, go to
www.mhrprecalc11.ca and follow the links.
D i d You K n ow ?
Key Terms In mathematics, the Fibonacci
sequence geometric sequence sequence is a sequence of
arithmetic sequence common ratio natural numbers named after
Leonardo of Pisa, also known
common difference geometric series as Fibonacci. Each number is
general term convergent series the sum of the two preceding
numbers.
arithmetic series divergent series 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, . . .
4 MHR • Chapter 1

Career Link
Biomedical engineers combine biology,
engineering, and mathematical sciences to
solve medical and health-related problems.
Some research and develop artificial organs
and replacement limbs. Others design MRI
machines, laser systems, and microscopic
machines used in surgery. Many biomedical
engineers work in research and development
in health-related fields. If you have ever
taken insulin or used an asthma inhaler,
you have benefited from the work of
biomedical engineers.
We b Link
To learn
earn more about
a biomedical engineering, go to
www.mhrprecalc11.ca and follow the links.
Chapter 1 • MHR 5

1.1
Arithmetic Sequences
Focus on . . .
• deriving a rule for determining the general term of an
arithmetic sequence
• determining t1, d, n, or tn in a problem that involves an
arithmetic sequence
• describing the relationship between an arithmetic
sequence and a linear function
• solving a problem that involves an arithmetic sequence
Comets are made of frozen lumps of gas and rock and are
often referred to as icy mudballs or dirty snowballs. In
1705, Edmond Halley predicted that the comet seen in
1531, 1607, and 1682 would be seen again in 1758. Halley’s
prediction was accurate. This comet was later named in his
honour. The years in which Halley’s Comet has appeared
approximately form terms of an arithmetic sequence. What
makes this sequence arithmetic?
Investigate Arithmetic Sequences
Staircase Numbers
A staircase number is the number of cubes needed
to make a staircase that has at least two steps.
Is there a pattern to the number of cubes
in successive staircase numbers?
How could you predict different
staircase numbers?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Columns
Part A: Two-Step Staircase Numbers
To generate a two-step staircase number, add the numbers
of cubes in two consecutive columns.
The first staircase number is the sum of the number of
cubes in column 1 and in column 2.
1 2
6 MHR • Chapter 1

For the second staircase number, add the number of
cubes in columns 2 and 3.
2 3
For the third staircase number, add the number of

cubes in columns in 3 and 4.
3 4
1. Copy and complete the table for the number of cubes required
for each staircase number of a two-step staircase.
Term 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Staircase Number
3 5
(Number of Cubes Required)
Part B: Three-Step Staircase Numbers

To generate a three-step staircase number, add the numbers of cubes
in three consecutive columns.
The first staircase number is the sum of the number of cubes in
column 1, column 2, and column 3.
For the second staircase number, add the number of cubes in columns
2, 3, and 4.
For the third staircase number, add the number of cubes in columns
3, 4, and 5.
2. Copy and complete the table for the number of cubes required
for each step of a three-step staircase.
Term 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Staircase Number
6 9
(Number of Cubes Required)
3. The same process may be used for staircase numbers with more than
three steps. Copy and complete the following table for the number
cubes required for staircase numbers up to six steps.
Number of Steps in the Staircase
Term 2 3 4 5 6
1 3 6
2 5 9
3
4
5
6
1.1 Arithmetic Sequences • MHR 7

4. Describe the pattern for the number of cubes in a two-step staircase.
5. How could you find the number of cubes in the 11th and 12th terms
of the two-step staircase?
6. Describe your strategy for determining the number of cubes required
for staircases with three, four, five, or six steps.
Reflect and Respond

sequence 7. a) Would you describe the terms of the number of cubes as a
• an ordered list of sequence?
elements b) Describe the pattern that you observed.
8. a) In the sequences generated for staircases with more than two
steps, how is each term generated from the previous term?
b) Is this difference the same throughout the entire sequence?
9. a) How would you find the number of cubes required if you
were asked for the 100th term in a two-step staircase?
b) Derive a formula from your observations of the patterns that
would allow you to calculate the 100th term.
c) Derive a general formula that would allow you to calculate
the nth term.
Link the Ideas
Sequences
A sequence is an ordered list of objects. It contains elements or terms
that follow a pattern or rule to determine the next term in the sequence.
The terms of a sequence are labelled according to their position in the
sequence.
The first term of the sequence is t1. The first term of a sequence
The number of terms in the sequence is n. is sometimes referred to as a.
In this resource, the first term
The general term of the sequence is tn. This will be referred to as t1.
term is dependent on the value of n.
tn is read as “t subscript n” or
Finite and Infinite Sequences “t sub n.”
A finite sequence always has a finite number of terms.

Examples: 2, 5, 8, 11, 14
5, 10, 15, 20, . . ., 100
An infinite sequence has an infinite number of terms. Every term is
followed by a new term.
Example: 5, 10, 15, 20, . . .
8 MHR • Chapter 1

Arithmetic Sequences
An arithmetic sequence is an ordered list of terms in which the arithmetic
difference between consecutive terms is constant. In other words, the sequence
same value or variable is added to each term to create the next term. • a sequence in which
This constant is called the common difference. If you subtract the the difference between
consecutive terms is
first term from the second term for any two consecutive terms of the constant
sequence, you will arrive at the common difference.
common difference
The formula for the general term helps you find the terms of
• the difference between
a sequence. This formula is a rule that shows how the value of tn
successive terms in an
depends on n. arithmetic sequence,
d = tn - tn - 1
Consider the sequence 10, 16, 22, 28, . . . .
• the difference may be
positive or negative
Terms t1 t2 t3 t4
• for example, in the
Sequence 10 16 22 28 sequence 10, 16, 22,
Sequence Expressed Using 28, . . ., the common
difference is 6
First Term and Common 10 10 + (6) 10 + (6) + (6) 10 + (6) + (6) + (6)
Difference
general term
General Sequence t1 + d + d t1 + d + d + d • an expression for
t1 t1 + d
= t1 + 2d = t1 + 3d directly determining
any term of a sequence
The general arithmetic sequence is t1, t1 + d, t1 + 2d, t1 + 3d, . . .,
• symbol is tn
where t1 is the first term and d is the common difference.
• for example,
t1 = t1 tn = 3n + 2
t2 = t1 + d
t3 = t1 + 2d

tn = t1 + (n - 1)d
The general term of an arithmetic sequence is

tn = t1 + (n - 1)d
where t1 is the first term of the sequence
n is the number of terms
d is the common difference
tn is the general term or nth term

Example 1
Determine a Particular Term
A visual and performing arts group wants to hire a community events
leader. The person will be paid $12 for the first hour of work, $19 for
two hours of work, $26 for three hours of work, and so on.
a) Write the general term that you could use to determine the pay for any
number of hours worked.
b) What will the person get paid for 6 h of work?
Solution
State the sequence given in the problem.
t1 = 12 The common difference of the sequence may be found
t2 = 19 by subtracting any two consecutive terms. The common
difference for this sequence is 7.
t3 = 26 19 - 12 = 7
26 - 19 = 7
The sequence is arithmetic with a common difference equal to 7.

Subtracting any two consecutive terms will result in 7.
Did Yo u Know ? a) For the given sequence, t1 = 12 and d = 7.
Use the formula for the general term of an arithmetic sequence.
The relation
tn = 7n + 5 may also tn = t1 + (n - 1)d
be written using tn = 12 + (n - 1)7 Substitute known values.
function notation: tn = 12 + 7n - 7
f(n) = 7n + 5.
tn = 7n + 5
The general term of the sequence is tn = 7n + 5.
b) For 6 h of work, the amount is the sixth term in the sequence.

Determine t6.
Method 1: Use an Equation

tn = t1 + (n - 1)d or tn = 7n + 5
t6 = 12 + (6 - 1)7 t6 = 7(6) + 5
t6 = 12 + (5)(7) t6 = 42 + 5
t6 = 12 + 35 t6 = 47
t6 = 47
The value of the sixth term is 47.
For 6 h of work, the person will be paid $47.
10 MHR • Chapter 1

Method 2: Use Technology
You can use a calculator or spreadsheet to determine the sixth term of
the sequence.
Use a table.
You can generate a table of values and a graph to represent
the sequence.
The value of the sixth term is 47.

For 6 h of work, the person will be paid $47.
Your Turn
Many factors affect the growth of a child. Medical and health officials
encourage parents to keep track of their child’s growth. The general
guideline for the growth in height of a child between the ages of 3 years
and 10 years is an average increase of 5 cm per year. Suppose a child was
70 cm tall at age 3.
a) Write the general term that you could use to estimate what the child’s
height will be at any age between 3 and 10.
b) How tall is the child expected to be at age 10?

Example 2
Determine the Number of Terms
The musk-ox and the caribou of northern Canada are hoofed mammals
that survived the Pleistocene Era, which ended 10 000 years ago. In
1955, the Banks Island musk-ox population was approximately
9250 animals. Suppose that in subsequent
years, the growth of the musk-ox
population generated an arithmetic
sequence, in which the number of
musk-ox increased by approximately
1650 each year. How many years
would it take for the musk-ox
population to reach 100 000?
Solution
The sequence 9250, 10 900, 12 550, 14 200, . . ., 100 000
is arithmetic.
For the given sequence,
First term t1 = 9250
Common difference d = 1650
nth term tn = 100 000
To determine the number of terms in the sequence, substitute the known
values into the formula for the general term of an arithmetic sequence.
tn = t1 + (n - 1)d
100 000 = 9250 + (n - 1)1650
100 000 = 9250 + 1650n - 1650
100 000 = 1650n + 7600
92 400 = 1650n
56 = n
There are 56 terms in the sequence.
It would take 56 years for the musk-ox population to reach 100 000.
Your Turn
Carpenter ants are large, usually black ants that make their colonies in
wood. Although often considered to be pests around the home, carpenter
ants play a significant role in a forested ecosystem. Carpenter ants begin
with a parent colony. When this colony is well established, they form
satellite colonies consisting of only the workers. An established colony
may have as many as 3000 ants. Suppose that the growth of the colony
produces an arithmetic sequence in which the number of ants increases
by approximately 80 ants each month. Beginning with 40 ants, how
many months would it take for the ant population to reach 3000?

Example 3
Determine t1, tn, and n
Jonathon has a part-time job at the local grocery store. He has been asked Yums BITES
to create a display of cereal boxes. The top six rows of his display are BITES Yums
Bits Bits
shown. The numbers of boxes in the rows produce an arithmetic
Bits Yu
ms Yums BITES
sequence. There are 16 boxes in the third row from the bottom, Bits Bits
and 6 boxes in the eighth row from the bottom. BITES Yums Bits BITES Yums BITES Bits Yums
a) How many boxes are in the bottom row? BITES Yums BITES Bits
BITES Yums Bits Yums BITES Bits
b) Determine the general term, tn, for the sequence. Bits Yums BITES Yums Bits Bits
BITES Yums BITES Bits Yums BITES
c) What is the number of rows of boxes in his display?
Solution
a) Method 1: Use Logical Reasoning
The diagram shows the top six rows. From the diagram, you can see What is the value of d if you
that the number of boxes per row decreases by 2 from bottom to top. go from top to bottom?
Therefore, d = -2
You could also consider the fact that there are 16 boxes in the 3rd
row from the bottom and 6 boxes in the 8th row from the bottom.
This results in a difference of 10 boxes in 5 rows. Since the values
are decreasing, d = -2.
Substitute known values into the formula for the general term.
tn = t1 + (n - 1) d
16 = t1 + (3 - 1)(-2)
16 = t1 - 4
20 = t1
The number of boxes in the bottom row is 20.
Method 2: Use Algebra

Since t1 and d are both unknown, you can use two equations to
determine them. Write an equation for t3 and an equation for t8
using the formula for the general term of an arithmetic sequence.
tn = t1 + (n - 1)d
For n = 3 16 = t1 + (3 - 1)d
16 = t1 + 2d
For n = 8 6 = t1 + (8 - 1)d
6 = t1 + 7d
Subtract the two equations.

16 = t1 + 2d
6 = t1 + 7d
10 = -5d
-2 = d

Substitute the value of d into the first equation. Is there another way to
solve this problem? Work
16 = t1 + 2d
with a partner to discuss
16 = t1 + 2(-2) possible alternate methods.
16 = t1 - 4
20 = t1
The sequence for the stacking of the boxes is 20, 18, 16, . . . .
The number of boxes in the bottom row is 20.
b) Use the formula for the general term of the sequence.

tn = t1 + (n - 1)d
tn = 20 + (n - 1)(-2)
tn = -2n + 22
The general term of the sequence is tn = -2n + 22.
c) The top row of the stack contains two boxes.

Use the general term to find the number of rows.
tn = -2n + 22
2 = -2n + 22
-20 = -2n
10 = n
The number of rows of boxes is 10.
Your Turn
Jonathon has been given the job of stacking cans in a
similar design to that of the cereal boxes. The numbers of
cans in the rows produces an arithmetic sequence. The
top three rows are shown. There are 26 cans in the 8th
row from the bottom and 10 cans in the 12th row from the
bottom. Determine t1, d, and tn for the arithmetic sequence.
Example 4
Generate a Sequence
A furnace technician charges $65 for making a house call, plus $42 per
hour or portion of an hour.
a) Generate the possible charges (excluding parts) for the first 4 h of
time.
b) What is the charge for 10 h of time?

Solution
a) Write the sequence for the first four hours.
Terms of the Sequence 1 2 3 4

How do you determine
Number of Hours Worked 1 2 3 4 the charge for the
Charges ($) 107 149 191 233 first hour?
The charges for the first 4 h are $107, $149, $191, and $233.
b) The charge for the first hour is $107. This is the first term.
The common difference is $42.
t1 = 107
d = 42
Substitute known values into the formula to determine the
general term.
tn = t1 +(n - 1)d
tn = 107 + (n - 1)42
tn = 107 + 42n - 42
tn = 42n + 65
Method 1: Use the General Term
The 10th term of the sequence may be generated by substituting 10
for n in the general term.
tn = 42n + 65
t10 = 42(10) + 65
t10 = 485
The charge for 10 h of work is $485.
Method 2: Use a Graph
The general term
tn = 42n + 65 is a function
that relates the charge to
the number of hours
worked. This equation
f (x) = 42x + 65 could be
graphed. The slope of 42 is
the common difference of
the sequence. The
y-intercept of 65 is the
initial charge for making a house call.
The terms may now be generated by either

tracing on the graph or accessing the table of values.
The charge for 10 h of work is $485.
Your Turn
What is the charge for 10 h if the furnace technician charges $45 for the
house call plus $46 per hour?

Key Ideas
A sequence is an ordered list of elements.

Elements within the range of the sequence are called terms of the sequence.
To describe any term of a sequence, an expression is used for tn, where n ∈ N.
This term is called the general term.
In an arithmetic sequence, each successive term is formed by adding a constant.
This constant is called the common difference.
The general term of an arithmetic sequence is
tn = t1 + (n - 1)d
where t1 is the first term
n is the number of terms (n ∈ N)
Check Your Understanding
Practise 4. For each arithmetic sequence determine

1. Identify the arithmetic sequences from the the values of t1 and d. State the missing
following sequences. For each arithmetic terms of the sequence.
sequence, state the value of t1, the value of a) , , , 19, 23
d, and the next three terms.
b) , , 3, _3
a) 16, 32, 48, 64, 80, . . . 2
c) , 4, , , 10
b) 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, . . .
5. Determine the position of the given term to
c) -4, -7, -10, -13, -16, . . .
complete the following statements.
d) 3, 0, -3, -6, -9, . . .
a) 170 is the th term of -4, 2, 8, . . .
2. Write the first four terms of each arithmetic
sequence for the given values of t1 and d.
_1 _4
b) -14 is the th term of 2 , 2, 1 , . . .
5 5
a) t1 = 5, d = 3 c) 97 is the th term of -3, 1, 5, . . .
b) t1 = -1, d = -4 d) -10 is the th term of 14, 12.5, 11, . . .
c) t1 = 4, d = _1 6. Determine the second and third terms of

5 an arithmetic sequence if
d) t1 = 1.25, d = -0.25
a) the first term is 6 and the fourth term
3. For the sequence defined by tn = 3n + 8, is 33
find each indicated term.
b) the first term is 8 and the fourth term
a) t1 b) t7 c) t14 is 41
c) the first term is 42 and the fourth term
is 27

7. The graph of an arithmetic sequence 12. The numbers represented by x, y, and z
is shown. are the first three terms of an arithmetic
y sequence. Express z in terms of x and y.
30 13. Each square in this pattern has a side
length of 1 unit. Assume the pattern
25 continues.
20
15
Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4
10
a) Write an equation in which the
5
perimeter is a function of the figure
number.
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 x
b) Determine the perimeter of Figure 9.
a) What are the first five terms of the c) Which figure has a perimeter of
sequence? 76 units?
b) Write the general term of this sequence. 14. The Wolf Creek Golf Course, located
near Ponoka, Alberta, has been the site
c) What is t50? t200?
of the Canadian Tour Alberta Open Golf
d) Describe the relationship between the Championship. This tournament has a
slope of the graph and your formula maximum entry of 132 players. The tee-off
from part b). times begin at 8:00 and are 8 min apart.
e) Describe the relationship between the a) The tee-off times generate an arithmetic
y-intercept and your formula from sequence. Write the first four terms of
part b). the arithmetic sequence, if the first
tee-off time of 8:00 is considered to
Apply be at time 0.
8. Which arithmetic sequence(s) contain the
b) Following this schedule, how many
term 34? Justify your conclusions. players will be on the course after 1 h,
A tn = 6 + (n - 1)4 if the tee-off times are for groups of
B tn = 3n - 1 four?
C t1 = 12, d = 5.5 c) Write the general term for the sequence
D 3, 7, 11, . . . of tee-off times.
9. Determine the first term of the arithmetic d) At what time will the last group tee-off?
sequence in which the 16th term is 110 e) What factors might affect the
and the common difference is 7. prearranged tee-off time?
10. The first term of an arithmetic sequence
D i d You K n ow ?
is 5y and the common difference is -3y.
Write the equations for tn and t15. The first championship at Wolf Creek was held in
1987 and has attracted PGA professionals, including
11. The terms 5x + 2, 7x - 4, and 10x + 6 Mike Weir and Dave Barr.
are consecutive terms of an arithmetic
sequence. Determine the value of x and
state the three terms.

15. Lucy Ango’yuaq, from Baker Lake, 17. Hydrocarbons are the starting points in
Nunavut, is a prominent wall hanging the formation of thousands of products,
artist. This wall hanging is called Geese including fuels, plastics, and synthetic
and Ulus. It is 22 inches wide and fibres. Some hydrocarbon compounds
27 inches long and was completed in contain only carbon and hydrogen atoms.
27 days. Suppose on the first day she Alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons that
completed 48 square inches of the wall have single carbon-to-carbon bonds. The
hanging, and in the subsequent days the diagrams below show the first three alkanes.
sequence of cumulative areas completed by H
the end of each day produces an arithmetic H H
sequence. How much of the wall hanging H C

H C C H
H
did Lucy complete on each subsequent H
H H
day? Express your answer in square inches.
Methane Ethane
H H
H C H
C
C
H H
H
H
Propane
a) The number of hydrogen atoms

compared to number of carbon atoms
produces an arithmetic sequence. Copy
and complete the following chart to
show this sequence.
Carbon Atoms 1 2 3 4
Hydrogen Atoms 4
b) Write the general term that relates

the number of hydrogen atoms to the
number of carbon atoms.
c) Hectane contains 202 hydrogen atoms.
The Inuktitut syllabics appearing at the bottom of How many carbon atoms are required to
this wall hanging spell the artist’s name. For example, support 202 hydrogen atoms?
the ﬁrst two syllabics spell out Lu-Si.
18. The multiples of 5 between 0 and 50
16. Susan joined a fitness class at her local produces the arithmetic sequence 5, 10,
gym. Into her workout, she incorporated a 15, …, 45. Copy and complete the following
sit-up routine that followed an arithmetic table for the multiples of various numbers.
sequence. On the 6th day of the program, Multiples Of 28 7 15
Susan performed 11 sit-ups. On the 15th
1 and 500 and 50 and
day she did 29 sit-ups. Between 1000 600 500
a) Write the general term that relates the First Term, t1
number of sit-ups to the number of
Common
days.
Difference, d
b) If Susan’s goal is to be able to do
nth Term, tn
100 sit-ups, on which day of her
General Term
program will she accomplish this?
Number of Terms
c) What assumptions did you make to
answer part b)?

19. The beluga whale is one of the major 22. Canadian honey is recognized around
attractions of the Vancouver Aquarium. the world for its superior taste and
The beluga whale typically forages for quality. In Saskatchewan in 1986,
food at a depth of 1000 ft, but will dive there were 1657 beekeepers operating
to at least twice that depth. To build the 105 000 colonies. Each colony produced
aquarium for the whales, engineers had approximately 70 kg
to understand the pressure of the water at of honey. In 2007, the
such depths. At sea level the pressure is number of beekeepers
14.7 psi (pounds per square inch). Water was reduced to
pressure increases at a rate of 14.7 psi for 1048. Assume that
every 30 ft of descent. the decline in the
a) Write the first four terms of the number of beekeepers
sequence that relates water pressure to generates an
feet of descent. Write the general term arithmetic sequence.
of this sequence. Determine the change
in the number of
b) What is the water pressure at a depth
beekeepers each year
of 1000 ft? 2000 ft?
from 1986 to 2007.
c) Sketch a graph of the water pressure
23. The Diavik Diamond Mine is located on
versus 30-ft water depth charges.
East Island in Lac de Gras East, Northwest
d) What is the y-intercept of the graph? Territories. The diamonds that are
e) What is the slope of the graph? extracted from the mine were brought to
f) How do the y-intercept and the slope surface when the kimberlite rock erupted
relate to the formula you wrote in 55 million years ago. In 2003, the first
part a)? production year of the mine, 3.8 million
carats were produced. Suppose the life
D id Yo u Kn ow?
expectancy of the mine is 20 years, and
In 2008, the beluga was listed on the near- the number of diamond carats expected to
threatened list by the International Union for the be extracted from the mine after 20 years
Conservation of Nature.
is 113.2 million carats. If the extraction
20. The side lengths of a quadrilateral produce of diamonds produces an arithmetic
an arithmetic sequence. If the longest side sequence, determine the common
has a length of 24 cm and the perimeter difference. What does this value represent?
is 60 cm, what are the other side lengths?
Explain your reasoning.
21. Earth has a daily rotation of 360°. One
degree of rotation requires 4 min.
a) Write the sequence of the first five
terms relating the number of minutes
to the number of degrees of rotation.
b) Write an equation that describes this
sequence.
c) Determine the time taken for a rotation
of 80°.

Extend b) Write the general term that defines
24. Farmers near Raymond, Alberta, use a this sequence.
wheel line irrigation system to provide c) What assumptions did you make for
water to their crops. A pipe and sprinkler your calculation in part b)?
system is attached to a motor-driven wheel d) At what time was the sun completely
that moves the system in a circle over a eclipsed by the moon?
field. The first wheel is attached 50 m from
the pivot point, and all the other wheels We b Link
are attached at 20-m intervals further along To learn
earn more about
a a solar eclipse, go to
the pipe. Determine the circumference of www.mhrprecalc11.ca and follow the links.
the circle traversed by wheel 12.
Create Connections
26. Copy and complete the following sentences
using your own words. Then, choose
symbols from the box below to create true
statements. The boxes to the right of each
sentence indicate how many symbols are
needed for that sentence.
t1 n tn < d ≤ ≥ > ≠ 0 1 =
25. A solar eclipse is considered to be one a) An arithmetic sequence is an increasing

of the most awe-inspiring spectacles in sequence if and only if .
all of nature. The total phase of a solar b) An arithmetic sequence is a decreasing
eclipse is very brief and rarely lasts more sequence if and only if .
than several minutes. The diagram below c) An arithmetic sequence is constant if
shows a series of pictures taken of a solar and only if .
eclipse similar to the one that passed over
d) The first term of a sequence is .
Nunavut on August 1, 2008.
e) The symbol for the general term of a
1 2 3 4 5 6
sequence is .
27. Copy and complete the following graphic
13:54 13:59 14:04 14:09 14:14 organizer by recording the observations
7 8 9 10 11 12 you made about an arithmetic sequence.
For example, include such things as the
common difference and how the sequence
13 14 15 16 17 18 relates to a function. Compare your graphic
organizer with that of a classmate.
Common
Definition
19 20 21 22 23 24 Difference
Arithmetic
a) Write the first five terms of the Sequence
sequence that relates the time to the
picture number. State the values of t1
and d. Example General Term

28. MINI LAB Step 3 Investigate the effect of the common
difference on an arithmetic sequence
Step 1 Create or use a spreadsheet as shown
by changing the values in Cell D2.
below.
a) What effect does changing this
What is the shape of the graph that value have on the graph?
models the arithmetic sequence?
b) How does an increase in the
Could an arithmetic sequence graph
common difference affect the shape
have any other shape? Explain.
of the graph? What happens as the
Step 2 Explore the effect that the first term common difference decreases?
has on the terms of the sequence by
Step 4 If a line were drawn through the data
changing the value in Cell C2.
values, what would be its slope?
a) As the value of the first term
Step 5 What relationship does the slope of
increases, what is the effect on
the line have to the equation for the
the graph? What happens as the
general term of the sequence?
value of the first term decreases?
b) Does the graph keep its
shape? What characteristics
of the graph stay the same?
Project Corner Minerals
• A telephone contains over 40 different minerals, a television set has about 35,
and an automobile about 15.
• Of the approximately 193 000 metric tonnes of gold discovered, 62% is found
in just four countries on Earth. All the gold discovered so far would fit in a
cube of side length 22 m.
• Of the approximately 1 740 000 metric tonnes of silver discovered, 55% is
found in just four countries on Earth. All the silver discovered so far would
fit in a cube of side length 55 m.
• In the average 1360-kg car there are approximately 110 kg of aluminum, 20 kg
of copper, 10 kg of zinc, 113 kg of plastics, and 64 kg of rubber.
• Canada is the world’s largest potash producer.

1.2
Arithmetic Series
Focus on . . .
• deriving a rule for determining the sum of an arithmetic series
• determining the values of t1, d, n, or Sn in an arithmetic series
• solving a problem that involves an arithmetic series
Carl Friedrich Gauss was a mathematician born in

Braunschweig, Germany, in 1777. He is noted for his
significant contributions in fields such as number theory,
statistics, astronomy, and differential geometry. When
Gauss was 10, his mathematics teacher challenged the
class to find the sum of the numbers from 1 to 100.
Believing that this task would take some time, the teacher
was astounded when Gauss responded with the correct
answer of 5050 within minutes.
Gauss used a faster method than adding each individual term.
First, he wrote the sum twice, once in ascending order and the other We b Link
in a descending order. Gauss then took the sum of the two rows.
To learn
earn more about
a
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + . . . + 99 + 100 Carl Gauss, go to
100 + 99 + … + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 www.mhrprecalc11.ca
and follow the links.
101 + 101 + … + 101 + 101
What do you think Gauss did next?
Investigate Arithmetic Series
Materials In the following investigation, work with a partner to discuss

• 30 counting disks your findings.
• grid paper Part A: Explore Gauss’s Method
1. a) Consider the sequence of
positive integers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Represent each number by a 5
Number of Disks
small counting disk and 4

arrange them in a triangular
table in which each row 3
represents the integer. 2
b) What is the sum of the
1
numbers in the sequence?
1 2 3 4 5 6
c) How is the sum related to the Positive Integers
total number of disks used?

2. a) Duplicate the triangle of disks.
b) Rotate your new triangle 180°. Join the two triangles together to
form a rectangle.
c) How many disks form the length of the rectangle? the width?
d) How many disks are in the area of the rectangle?
e) How is the area of the rectangle related to the sum of the sequence
1, 2, 3, 4, 5?
Reflect and Respond

3. Explain how you could use the results from steps 1 and 2 to find
the sum of n consecutive integers. Use the idea of the area of
the rectangle to develop a formula that would find the sum of n
consecutive integers.
4. Explain how this method is related to the method Gauss used.
Part B: Construct a Squared Spiral

5. Start from the centre of
the grid.
a) Draw a segment of length
1 unit, vertically up.
b) From the end of that
segment, draw a new
segment that is 1 unit longer
than the previous segment,
to the right.
c) From the end of this
segment, draw a new
segment that is 1 unit longer
than the previous segment, vertically down.
d) Continue this through 14 segments.
6. a) Record the lengths of the segments as an arithmetic sequence.
b) What is the total length of the spiral?
c) Explain how you calculated the total length of the spiral.
Reflect and Respond

7. a) Use Gauss’s method to calculate the sum of the first 14 terms of
your sequence. Is the sum the same as your sum from step 6?
b) In using Gauss’s method, what sum did you find for each pair of
numbers? How many terms were there?
8. Derive a formula that you could use to find the total length if there
were 20 segments for the spiral.
1.2 Arithmetic Series • MHR 23

Link the Ideas
In determining the sum of the numbers from 1 to 100, Gauss had

arithmetic series discovered the underlying principles of an arithmetic series.
• a sum of terms that Sn is read as “S
Sn represents the sum of the first n terms of a series.
form an arithmetic subscript n” or “S sub n.”
sequence In the series 2 + 4 + 6 + 8 + . . ., S4 is the sum of the first four terms.
• for the arithmetic
sequence 2, 4, 6, 8, You can use Gauss’s method to derive a formula for the sum of the
the arithmetic series general arithmetic series.
is represented by
2 + 4 + 6 + 8. The general arithmetic series may be written as
t1 + (t1 + d) + (t1 + 2d) + . . . + [(t1 + (n - 3)d] + [(t1 + (n - 2)d]
+ [(t1 + (n - 1)d]
For this series, t1 is the first term
Use Gauss’s method.
Write the series twice, once in ascending order and the other in
descending order. Then, sum the two series.
Sn = t1 + (t1 + d) + … + [t1 + (n - 2)d] + [t1 + (n - 1)d]
Sn = [t1 + (n - 1)d] + [t1 + (n - 2)d] + … + (t1 + d) + t1
2Sn = [2t1 + (n - 1)d] + [2t1 + (n - 1)d] + … + [2t1 + (n - 1)d] + [2t1 + (n - 1)d]
2Sn = n[2t1 + (n - 1)d]
Sn = _
n [2t + (n - 1)d]
2 1
The sum of an arithmetic series can be determined using the formula

Sn = _
n [2t + (n - 1)d]
2 1
Sn is the sum of the first n terms
A variation of this general formula can be derived by substituting tn for

the formula for the general term of an arithmetic sequence.
Sn = _
n [2t + (n - 1)d]
2 1
Sn = _
n [t + t + (n - 1)d] Since tn = t1 + (n - 1)d.
2 1 1
Sn = _ (t1 + tn)
n
2
The sum of an arithmetic series can be determined using the formula
Sn = _
n (t + t )
2 1 n
How would you need to express the
last terms of the general arithmetic
series in order to directly derive this
tn is the nth term formula using Gauss’s method?

Example 1
Determine the Sum of an Arithmetic Series
Male fireflies flash in various patterns to signal location or to ward off
predators. Different species of fireflies have different flash characteristics,
such as the intensity of the flash, the rate of the flash, and the shape of
the flash. Suppose that under certain circumstances, a particular firefly
flashes twice in the first minute, four times in the second minute, and
six times in the third minute.
a) If this pattern continues, what is the number of flashes in the 30th minute?
b) What is the total number of flashes in 30 min?
Solution
a) Method 1: Use Logical Reasoning Method 2: Use the General Term
The firefly flashes twice in the first For this arithmetic sequence,
minute, four times in the second First term t1 = 2
minute, six times in the third Common difference d = 2
minute, and so on. Number of terms n = 30
The arithmetic sequence produced Substitute these values into the
by the number of flashes is 2, 4, 6, . . . formula for the general term.
Since the common difference in
tn = t1 + (n - 1)d
this sequence is 2, the number of
t30 = 2 + (30 - 1)2
flashes in the 30th minute is the
t30 = 2 + (29)2
30th multiple of 2.
t30 = 60
30 × 2 = 60
The number of flashes in the 30th The number of flashes in the
minute is 60. 30th minute is 60.
b) Method 1: Use the Formula Sn = _n (t + tn) What information do you

2 1
=_n (t + t ) need to use this formula?

Sn
2 1 n
S30 _
= 30 (2 + 60) Substitute the values of n, t1, and tn.
2
S30 = 15(62)
S30 = 930
Method 2: Use the Formula Sn = _
n [2t + (n - 1)d] What information do you
2 1
_
n
Sn = [2t1 + (n - 1)d]
need to use this formula?
2
S30 = _
30 [2(2) + (30 - 1)(2)] Substitute the values of n, t1, and tn.
2
S30 = 15(62)
S30 = 930
The total number of flashes for the male Which formula is most
firefly in one hour is 930. effective in this case? Why?
Your Turn
Determine the total number of flashes for the male firefly in 42 min.

Example 2
Determine the Terms of an Arithmetic Series
The sum of the first two terms of an arithmetic series is 13 and the sum
of the first four terms is 46. Determine the first six terms of the series
and the sum to six terms.
Solution
For this series,
S2 = 13
S4 = 46
Substitute into the formula Sn = _n [2t + (n - 1)d] for both sums.

2 1
For S2: For S4:
Sn = _
n [2t + (n - 1)d] Sn = _ n [2t + (n - 1)d]
2 1 2 1
_
2
S2 = [2t1 + (2 - 1)d] _4
S4 = [2t1 + (4 - 1)d]
2 2
13 = 1[2t1 + (1)d] 46 = 2[2t1 + (3)d]
13 = 2t1 + d 23 = 2t1 + 3d
Solve the system of two equations.
13 = 2t1 + d q
23 = 2t1 + 3d w
-10 = -2d q-w
5=d
Substitute d = 5 into one of the equations.
13 = 2t1 + d
13 = 2t1 + 5
8 = 2t1
4 = t1
With t1 = 4 and d = 5, the first six terms of the series are
4 + 9 + 14 + 19 + 24 + 29.
The sum of the first six terms is
Sn = _
n [2t + (n - 1)d] or Sn = _
n (t + t ) Which formula do you
2 1 2 1 n
prefer to use? Why?
_
6
S6 = [2(4) + (6 - 1)5] _
6
S6 = (4 + 29)
2 2
S6 = 3(8 + 25) S6 = 3(33)
S6 = 99 S6 = 99
Your Turn
The sum of the first two terms of an arithmetic series is 19 and the sum
of the first four terms is 50. What are the first six terms of the series and
the sum to 20 terms?

Key Ideas
Given the sequence t1, t2, t3, t4, . . ., tn the associated series is Sn = t1 + t2 + t3 + t4 + . . . + tn.
For the general arithmetic series,
t1 + (t1 + d) + (t1 + 2d) + . . . + (t1 + [n - 1]d) or
t1 + (t1 + d) + (t1 + 2d) + . . . + (tn - d) + tn,
the sum of the first n terms is
Sn = _n [2t + (n - 1)d] or S = _ n (t + t ),
2 1 n 2 1 n

n is number of terms
tn is the nth term
Sn is the sum to n terms
Practise 4. Determine the value of the first term, t1,

1. Determine the sum of each arithmetic for each arithmetic series described.
series. a) d = 6, Sn = 574, n = 14
a) 5 + 8 + 11 + . . . + 53 b) d = -6, Sn = 32, n = 13
b) 7 + 14 + 21 + . . . + 98 c) d = 0.5, Sn = 218.5, n = 23
c) 8 + 3 + (-2) + . . . + (-102) d) d = -3, Sn = 279, n = 18
d) _2 + _5 + _8 + . . . + _
41 5. For the arithmetic series, determine
3 3 3 3
the value of n.
2. For each of the following arithmetic series,
a) t1 = 8, tn = 68, Sn = 608
determine the values of t1 and d, and the
value of Sn to the indicated sum. b) t1 = -6, tn = 21, Sn = 75
a) 1 + 3 + 5 + . . . (S ) 8
6. For each series find t10 and S10.
b) 40 + 35 + 30 + . . . (S11) a) 5 + 10 + 15 + . . .
c) _1 + _3 + _5 + . . . (S ) b) 10 + 7 + 4 + . . .
2 2 2 7
d) (-3.5) + (-1.25) + 1 + . . . (S6) c) (-10) + (-14) + (-18) + . . .

3. Determine the sum, Sn, for each arithmetic d) 2.5 + 3 + 3.5 + . . .
sequence described.
a) t1 = 7, tn = 79, n = 8 Apply
7. a) Determine the sum of all the multiples
b) t1 = 58, tn = -7, n = 26
of 4 between 1 and 999.
c) t1 = -12, tn = 51, n = 10
b) What is the sum of the multiples of 6
d) t1 = 12, d = 8, n = 9 between 6 and 999?
e) t1 = 42, d = -5, n = 14

8. It’s About Time, in Langley, British 13. At the sixth annual Vancouver
Columbia, is Canada’s largest custom clock Canstruction® Competition, architects and
manufacturer. They have a grandfather engineers competed to see whose team
clock that, on the hours, chimes the could build the most spectacular structure
number of times that corresponds to the using little more than cans of food.
time of day. For example, at 4:00 p.m., it
chimes 4 times. How many times does the
clock chime in a 24-h period?
9. A training program requires a pilot to fly
circuits of an airfield. Each day, the pilot
flies three more circuits than the previous
day. On the fifth day, the pilot flew 14
circuits. How many circuits did the
pilot fly
a) on the first day?
A Breach in Hunger
b) in total by the end of the fifth day?
c) in total by the end of the nth day?
10. The second and fifth terms of an arithmetic
The UnBEARable Truth
series are 40 and 121, respectively.
Determine the sum of the first 25 terms of Stores often stack
the series. cans for display
11. The sum of the first five terms of an purposes, although
arithmetic series is 85. The sum of the first their designs are not
six terms is 123. What are the first four usually as elaborate
terms of the series? as the ones shown
above. To
12. Galileo noticed a relationship between
calculate the
the distance travelled by a falling object
number of cans
and time. Suppose data show that when
in a display, an
an object is dropped from a particular
arithmetic
height it moves approximately 5 m during
series may be
the first second of its fall, 15 m during
used. Suppose a
the second second, 25 m during the third
store wishes to stack the cans in a pattern
second, 35 during the fourth second,
similar to the one shown. This display has
and so on. The formula describing the
one can at the top and each row thereafter
approximate distance, d, the object is from
adds one can. If there are 18 rows, how
its starting position n seconds after it has
many cans in total are there in the display?
been dropped is d(n) = 5n2.
a) Using the general formula for the
D i d You K n ow ?
sum of a series, derive the formula
d(n) = 5n2. The Vancouver Canstruction® Competition
aids in the fight against hunger. At the end of
b) Demonstrate algebraically, using the competition, all canned food is donated to
n = 100, that the sum of the series food banks.
5 + 15 + 25 + . . . is equivalent to
d(n) = 5n2.

14. The number of handshakes between Extend
6 people where everyone shakes hands 16. A number of interlocking rings each 1 cm
with everyone else only once may be thick are hanging from a peg. The top ring
modelled using a hexagon. If you join has an outside diameter of 20 cm. The
each of the 6 vertices in the hexagon to outside diameter of each of the outer rings
every other point in the hexagon, there are is 1 cm less than that of the ring above it.
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 lines. Therefore, there The bottom ring has an outside diameter
are 15 lines. of 3 cm. What is the distance from the
A top of the top ring to the bottom of the
bottom ring?
F B
20 cm
E C
a) What does the series 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5

represent?
b) Write the series if there are 10 people
in the room and everyone shakes hands 3 cm
with everyone else in the room once.
c) How many handshakes occur in a room 17. Answer the following as either true or
of 30 people? false. Justify your answers.
d) Describe a similar situation in which a) Doubling each term in an arithmetic
this method of determining the number series will double the sum of the series.
of handshakes may apply. b) Keeping the first term constant and
15. The first three terms of an arithmetic doubling the number of terms will
sequence are given by x, (2x - 5), 8.6. double the sum of the series.
a) Determine the first term and the c) If each term of an arithmetic sequence
common difference for the sequence. is multiplied by a fixed number, the
b) Determine the 20th term of the resulting sequence will always be an
sequence. arithmetic sequence.
c) Determine the sum of the first 20 terms
of the series.

18. The sum of the first n terms of an Create Connections
arithmetic series is Sn = 2n2 + 5n. 21. An arithmetic series was defined where
a) Determine the first three terms of this t1 = 12, n = 16, d = 6, and tn = 102. Two
series. students were asked to determine the sum
b) Determine the sum of the first 10 terms of the series. Their solutions are shown
of the series using the arithmetic sum below.
formula. Pierre’s solution:
c) Determine the sum of the first 10 terms Sn = _
n (t + t )
2 1 n
S16 = _ (12 + 102)

of the series using the given formula. 16
d) Using the general formula for the sum 2
of an arithmetic series, show how the S16 = 8(114)
formulas in parts b) and c) are equal. S16 = 912
19. Nathan Gerelus is a Manitoba farmer Jeanette’s solution:
preparing to harvest his field of wheat. Sn = _
n [2t + (n - 1)d]
Nathan begins harvesting the crop at 2 1
11:00 a.m., after the morning dew has S16 = _
16 [2(12) + (16 - 1)6]
2
evaporated. By the end of the first hour
S16 = 8(24 + 90)
he harvests 240 bushels of wheat. Nathan
challenges himself to increase the number S16 = 912
of bushels harvested by the end of each Both students arrived at a correct answer.
hour. Suppose that this increase produces Explain how both formulas lead to the
an arithmetic series where Nathan correct answer.
harvests 250 bushels in the second hour, 22. The triangular arrangement shown consists
260 bushels in the third hour, and so on. of a number of unit triangles. A unit
a) Write the series that would illustrate triangle has side lengths equal to 1. The
the amount of wheat that Nathan series for the total number of unit triangles
has harvested by the end of the in the diagram is 1 + 3 + 5 + 7.
seventh hour. a) How many unit triangles are there
b) Write the general sum formula that if there are 10 rows in the triangular
represents the number of bushels of arrangement?
wheat that Nathan took off the field by b) Using the sum of a series, show how the
the end of the nth hour. sum of the blue unit triangles plus the
c) Determine the total number of bushels sum of the green unit triangles results
harvested by the end of the seventh in your answer from part a).
hour.
d) State any assumptions that you made.
20. The 15th term in an arithmetic sequence
is 43 and the sum of the first 15 terms of
the series is 120. Determine the first three
terms of the series.

23. Bowling pins and snooker balls are often
arranged in a triangular formation. A
triangular number is a number that can
be represented by a triangular array
of dots. Each triangular number is an
arithmetic series. The sequence 1, (1 + 2),
(1 + 2 + 3), (1 + 2 + 3 + 4), . . . gives the
first four triangular numbers as 1, 3, 6,
and 10.
1 3 6 10
a) What is the tenth triangular number?

b) Use the general formula for the sum of
an arithmetic series to show that the
nth triangular number is _n (n + 1).
2
Project Corner Diamond Mining
• In 1991, the first economic diamond deposit

was discovered in the Lac de Gras area of
the Northwest Territories. In October
1998, Ekati diamond mine opened
about 300 km northeast of Yellowknife.
• By April 1999, the mine had produced
one million carats. Ekati’s average
production over its projected 20-year life is
expected to be 3 to 5 million carats per year.
• Diavik, Canada’s second diamond mine, began
production in January 2003. During its projected
20-year life, average diamond production from A polar bear diamond is a certified
this mine is expected to be about 8 million carats Canadian diamond mined, cut, and
per year, which represents about 6% of the polished in Yellowknife.
world’s total supply.

1.3
Geometric Sequences
Focus on . . .
• providing and justifying an example of a geometric sequence
• deriving a rule for determining the general term of a geometric
sequence
• solving a problem that involves a geometric sequence
Many types of sequences can be found in nature. The

Fibonacci sequence, frequently found in flowers, seeds,
and trees, is one example. A geometric sequence can be
approximated by the orb web of the common garden
spider. A spider’s orb web is an impressive architectural
feat. The web can capture the beauty of the morning
dew, as well as the insects that the spider may feed
upon. The following graphic was created to represent an
approximation of the geometric sequence formed by the
orb web.
60.75 mm
40.5 mm
27 mm
geometric sequence
18 mm • a sequence in which
the ratio of consecutive
12 mm
terms is constant
8 mm
hub
The capture spiral is constructed by the spider starting on the

outside edge of the web frame, and winding inward toward the hub.
The lengths of the sections of the silk between the radii for this
section of the spiral produce a geometric sequence. What makes this
sequence geometric?
Did Yo u Know ?
An orb web is a round spider web with a pattern of lines in a

spiral formation.

Investigate a Geometric Sequence
Coin Toss Outcomes Materials

Work with a partner for the following activity. • 3 coins
1. a) Toss a single coin. How many possible outcomes are there?

b) Toss two coins. How many possible outcomes are there?
c) Create a tree diagram to show the possible outcomes for
three coins.
2. Copy the table. Continue the pattern to complete the table.
Number of Number of Expanded Using

Coins, n Outcomes, tn Form Exponents
1 2 (2) 21
2 4 (2)(2) 22
3
4

n
3. a) As the number of coins increases, a sequence is formed by

the number of outcomes. What are the first four terms of
this sequence?
b) Describe how the terms of the sequence are related. Is this
relationship different from an arithmetic sequence? Explain.
c) Predict the next two terms of the sequence. Describe the method
you used to make your prediction.
d) Describe a method you could use to generate one term from
the previous term.
4. a) For several pairs of consecutive terms in the sequence,
divide the second term by the preceding term.
b) What observation can you make about your predictions in
step 3c)?
Reflect and Respond

5. a) Is the sequence generated a geometric sequence? How do
you know?
b) Write a general term that relates the number of outcomes
to the number of coins tossed.
c) Show how to use your formula to determine the value of
the 20th term of the sequence.
1.3 Geometric Sequences • MHR 33

Link the Ideas
common ratio In a geometric sequence, the ratio of consecutive terms is constant. The
• the ratio of successive common ratio, r, can be found by taking any term, except the first, and
terms in a geometric dividing that term by the preceding term.
sequence,
_tn The general geometric sequence is t1, t1r, t1r 2, t1r 3, . . ., where t1 is the first
r=
tn - 1 term and r is the common ratio.
• the ratio may be t1 = t1
positive or negative
t2 = t1r
• for example, in the
sequence 2, 4, 8, 16, . . .,
t3 = t1r 2
the common ratio is 2 t4 = t1r 3

tn = t1r n - 1
The general term of a geometric sequence where n is a positive

integer is
tn = t1r n - 1
where t1 is the first term of the sequence
r is the common ratio
Example 1
Determine t1, r, and tn
Did Yo u Know ? In nature, many single-celled organisms, such as bacteria, reproduce by
splitting in two so that one cell gives rise to 2, then 4, then 8 cells, and
One of the most
common bacteria on so on, producing a geometric sequence. Suppose there were 10 bacteria
Earth, Shewanella originally present in a bacteria sample. Determine the general term that
oneidensis MR-1, uses relates the number of bacteria to the doubling period of the bacteria. State
oxygen as an energy
source for respiration. the values for t1 and r in the geometric sequence produced.
This bacterium is
generally associated Solution
with the removal of
metal pollutants in State the sequence generated by the doubling of the bacteria.
aquatic and marine t1 = 10
environments.
t2 = 20
t3 = 40
t4 = 80
t5 = 160

The common ratio, r, may be found by dividing any two consecutive

tn
terms, r = _ .
tn - 1
_
20 = 2 _ 40 = 2 _ 80 = 2 _
160 = 2
10 20 40 80
The common ratio is 2.

For the given sequence, t1 = 10 and r = 2. Use the general term of a
geometric sequence.
tn = t1r n - 1
tn = (10)(2)n - 1 Substitute known values.
The general term of the sequence is tn = 10(2)n - 1.
Your Turn
Suppose there were three bacteria originally present in a sample.
Determine the general term that relates the number of bacteria to
the doubling period of the bacteria. State the values of t1 and r in
the geometric sequence formed.
Example 2
Determine a Particular Term
Sometimes you use a photocopier to create
enlargements or reductions. Suppose the
actual length of a photograph is 25 cm and
the smallest size that a copier can make is
67% of the original. What is the shortest
possible length of the photograph after
5 reductions? Express your answer to the
nearest tenth of a centimetre.
Solution
This situation can be modelled by a
geometric sequence.
For this sequence,
First term t1 = 25
Common ratio r = 0.67
Number of terms n=6 Why is the number of terms 6 in this case?
You need to find the sixth term of the sequence.

Use the general term, tn = t1r n - 1.
tn = t1r n - 1
t6 = 25(0.67)6 - 1 Substitute known values.
t6 = 25(0.67)5
t6 = 3.375…
After five reductions, the shortest possible length of the photograph is
approximately 3.4 cm.
Your Turn
Suppose the smallest reduction a photocopier could make is 60% of
the original. What is the shortest possible length after 8 reductions of
a photograph that is originally 42 cm long?

Example 3
Determine t1 and r
In a geometric sequence, the third term is 54 and the sixth term
is -1458. Determine the values of t1 and r, and list the first three
terms of the sequence.
Solution
Method 1: Use Logical Reasoning
The third term of the sequence is 54 and the sixth term is -1458.
t3 = 54
t6 = -1458
Since the sequence is geometric,
t4 = t3(r)
t5 = t3(r)(r)
t6 = t3(r)(r)(r) Substitute known values.
-1458 = 54r 3
__
-1458 = r 3
54
-27 = r 3
_____
3
√-27 = r
-3 = r
You can use the general term of a geometric sequence to determine the
value for t1.
tn = t1r n - 1
t3 = t1r 3 - 1
t3 = t1r 2
54 = t1(−3)2 Substitute known values.
54 = 9t1
6 = t1
The first term of the sequence is 6 and the common ratio is -3.
The first three terms of the sequence are 6, -18, 54.
Method 2: Use the General Term
You can write an equation for t3 and an equation for t6 using the general
term of a geometric sequence.
tn = t1r n - 1
For the third term, n = 3.
tn = t1r n - 1
54 = t1r 3 - 1
54 = t1r 2
For the sixth term, n = 6.
tn = t1r n - 1
-1458 = t1r 6 - 1
-1458 = t1r 5

Solve one of the equations for the variable t1.
54 = t1r 2
_
54 = t
1
r2
Substitute this expression for t1 in the other equation. Solve for the
variable r.
-1458 = t1r 5
-1458 = _ 54 r 5
( )
r2
-1458 = 54r 3
__
-1458 = _ 54r 3
54 54
-27 = r 3
_____
3
√-27 = r
-3 = r
Substitute the common ratio of -3 in one of the equations to solve for
the first term, t1.
Substitute r = -3
54 = t1r 2
54 = t1(-3)2
54 = 9t1
6 = t1
The first term of the sequence is 6 and the common ratio is -3.
The first three terms of the sequence are 6, -18, 54.
Your Turn
In a geometric sequence, the second term is 28 and the fifth term is
1792. Determine the values of t1 and r, and list the first three terms of
the sequence.
Example 4
Apply Geometric Sequences
The modern piano has 88 keys. The frequency of the notes ranges from D i d You K n ow?
A0, the lowest note, at 27.5 Hz, to C7, the highest note on the piano, at
A sound has two
4186.009 Hz. The frequencies of these notes approximate a geometric characteristics, pitch
sequence as you move up the keyboard. and volume. The
pitch corresponds
a) Determine the common ratio of the geometric sequence produced to the frequency
from the lowest key, A0, to the fourth key, C0, at 32.7 Hz. of the sound wave.
High notes have
b) Use the lowest and highest frequencies to verify the common ratio high frequencies.
Low notes have
found in part a).
low frequencies.
Frequency is
measured in Hertz
(Hz), which is the
number of waves per
second.

Solution
a) The situation may be modelled by a geometric sequence.
For this sequence,
First term t1 = 27.5
Number of terms n = 4
nth term tn = 32.7
Use the general term of a geometric sequence.

tn = t1r n - 1
32.7 = (27.5)(r 4 - 1) Substitute known values.
_ = __
32.7 27.5r 3
27.5 27.5
_
32.7 = r 3
27.5
_____
3 _
32.7 = r
√ 27.5
Take the cube root of both sides.
1.0594… = r
The common ratio for this sequence is approximately 1.06.
b) For this sequence,

First term t1 = 27.5
Number of terms n = 88
nth term tn = 4186.009
Use the general term of a geometric sequence.

tn = t1r n - 1
4186.009 = (27.5)(r 88 - 1) Substitute known values.
__
4186.009
= __
27.5r 87
27.5 27.5
__
4186.009
=r 87
27.5
__________
87 __
4186.009 = r
√ 27.5
Take the 87th root of both sides.
1.0594… = r
The common ratio of this sequence is approximately 1.06.
Your Turn
In 1990 the population of Canada was approximately 26.6 million.
The population projection for 2025 is approximately 38.4 million. If
this projection were based on a geometric sequence, what would be
the annual growth rate? Given that this is a geometric sequence what
assumptions would you have to make?

Key Ideas
A geometric sequence is a sequence in which each term, after the first term,
is found by multiplying the previous term by a non-zero constant, r, called
the common ratio.
The common ratio of successive terms of a geometric sequence can be found
tn
by dividing any two consecutive terms, r = _ .
tn - 1
The general term of a geometric sequence is
tn = t1r n - 1
Practise 4. Determine the missing terms, t2, t3, and

1. Determine if the sequence is geometric. t4, in the geometric sequence in which
If it is, state the common ratio and the t1 = 8.1 and t5 = 240.1.
general term in the form tn = t1r n - 1. 5. Determine a formula for the nth term of
a) 1, 2, 4, 8, . . . each geometric sequence.
b) 2, 4, 6, 8, . . . a) r = 2, t1 = 3
c) 3, -9, 27, -81, . . . b) 192, -48, 12, -3, . . .
d) 1, 1, 2, 4, 8, . . . c) t3 = 5, t6 = 135
e) 10, 15, 22.5, 33.75, . . . d) t1 = 4, t13 = 16 384
f) -1, -5, -25, -125, . . .
2. Copy and complete the following table for
Apply
6. Given the following geometric sequences,
the given geometric sequences.
determine the number of terms, n.
Geometric Common 6th 10th
Table A
Sequence Ratio Term Term
a) 6, 18, 54, . . . First nth Number
Term, Common Term, of
b) 1.28, 0.64, 0.32, . . .
t1 Ratio, r tn Terms, n
c)
_1 , _3 , _9 , . . .
5 5 5 a) 5 3 135
b) -2 -3 -1458
3. Determine the first four terms of each
geometric sequence. c)
_1 _1 _
1
3 2 48
a) t1 = 2, r = 3 b) t1 = -3, r = -4 d) 4 4 4096
-_ -_
c) t1 = 4, r = -3 d) t1 = 2, r = 0.5 1 128
e) 2
6 3
f) _p2 _p _p9
2 2 256

7. The following sequence is geometric. 10. The colour of some clothing fades over
What is the value of y? time when washed. Suppose a pair of jeans
3, 12, 48, 5y + 7, . . . fades by 5% with each washing.
8. The following graph illustrates a geometric a) What percent of the colour remains after
sequence. List the first three terms for the one washing?
sequence and state the general term that b) If t1 = 100, what are the first four terms
describes the sequence. of the sequence?
tn c) What is the value of r for your
geometric sequence?
d) What percent of the colour remains after
15
10 washings?
e) How many washings would it take so
that only 25% of the original colour
10 remains in the jeans? What assumptions
did you make?
11. Pincher Creek, in the foothills of the Rocky
Mountains in southern Alberta, is an
5 ideal location to harness the wind power
of the chinook winds that blow through
the mountain passes. Kinetic energy from
the moving air is converted to electricity
0 5 10 15 n by wind turbines. In 2004, the turbines
generated 326 MW of wind energy, and it
is projected that
9. A ball is dropped from a height of 3.0 m.
the amount will
After each bounce it rises to 75% of its
be 10 000 MW
previous height.
per year by 2010.
If this growth
were modelled
by a geometric
sequence,
determine the
value of the
growth rate
from 2004
a) Write the first term and the common to 2010.
ratio of the geometric sequence.
b) Write the general term of the sequence D i d You K n ow ?
that relates the height of the bounce to In an average year, a single 660-kW wind turbine
the number of bounces. produces 2000 MW of electricity, enough power
for over 250 Canadian homes. Using wind to
c) What height does the ball reach after produce electricity rather than burning coal will
the 6th bounce? leave 900 000 kg of coal in the ground and emit
2000 tonnes fewer greenhouse gases annually. This
d) After how many bounces will the ball has the same positive impact as taking 417 cars off
reach a height of approximately 40 cm? the road or planting 10 000 trees.

12. The following excerpt is taken from the a) By what ratio did Georges improve his
book One Grain of Rice by Demi. performance with each jump? Express
your answer to three decimal places.
b) How far was Georges’ winning jump?
Express your answer to the nearest
tenth of a centimetre.
c) The world record frog jump is held by
a frog named Santjie of South Africa.
Santjie jumped approximately 10.2 m.
If Georges, from St-Pierre-Jolys, had
continued to increase his jumps
following this same geometric sequence,
how many jumps would Georges have
needed to complete to beat Santjie’s
world record jump?
14. Bread and bread products have been part
Long ago in India, there lived a raja who believed that of our diet for centuries. To help bread
he was wise and fair. But every year he kept nearly all rise, yeast is added to the dough. Yeast is
of the people’s rice for himself. Then when famine came, a living unicellular micro-organism about
the raja refused to share the rice, and the people went one hundredth of a millimetre in size.
hungry. Then a village girl named Rani devises a clever
Yeast multiplies by a biochemical process
plan. She does a good deed for the raja, and in return,
called budding. After mitosis and cell
the raja lets her choose her reward. Rani asks for just
division, one cell results in two cells with
one grain of rice, doubled every day for thirty days.
exactly the same characteristics.
a) Write the sequence of terms for the
a) Write a sequence for the first six terms
first five days that Rani would receive
that describes the cell growth of yeast,
the rice.
beginning with a single cell.
b) Write the general term that relates the
b) Write the general term for the growth
number of grains of rice to the number
of yeast.
of days.
c) How many cells would there be after
c) Use the general term to determine
25 doublings?
the number of grains of rice that Rani
would receive on the 30th day. d) What assumptions would you make
for the number of cells after
13. The Franco-Manitoban community of
25 doubling periods?
St-Pierre-Jolys celebrates Les Folies
Grenouilles annually in August. Some
of the featured activities include a slow
pitch tournament, a parade, fireworks,
and the Canadian National Frog Jumping
Championships. During the competition,
competitor’s frogs have five chances to
reach their maximum jump. One year,
a frog by the name of Georges, achieved
the winning jump in his 5th try.
Georges’ first jump was 191.41 cm, his
second jump was 197.34 cm, and his third
was 203.46 cm. The pattern of Georges’
jumps approximated a geometric sequence.

15. The Arctic Winter Games is D i d You K n ow ?
a high profile sports
Sledge jump starts from a standing position. The
competition for northern and
athlete jumps consecutively over 10 sledges placed
arctic athletes. The premier in a row, turns around using one jumping movement,
sports are the Dene and Inuit games, which and then jumps back over the 10 sledges. This
include the arm pull, the one foot high process is repeated until the athlete misses a jump
or touches a sledge.
kick, the two foot high kick, and the Dene
hand games. The first Arctic Winter
Games, held in 1970, drew
700 competitors. In 2008, the games were
held in Yellowknife and drew
2000 competitors. If the number of
competitors grew geometrically from 1970
to 2008, determine the rate of growth in
the number of competitors for these games.
Express your answer to the nearest tenth of
a percent.
17. At Galaxyland in the West Edmonton Mall,
a boat swing ride has been modelled after
a basic pendulum design. When the boat
first reaches the top of the swing, this is
considered to be the beginning of the first
swing. A swing is completed when the
boat changes direction. On each successive
completed swing, the boat travels 96%
as far as on the previous swing. The ride
finishes when the arc length through
which the boat travels is 30 m. If it takes
20 swings for the boat to reach this arc
length, determine the arc length through
which the boat travels on the first swing.
Express your answer to the nearest tenth of
a metre.
16. Jason Annahatak entered the Russian

sledge jump competition at the Arctic
Winter Games, held in Yellowknife.
Suppose that to prepare for this event,
Jason started training by jumping 2 sledges
each day for the first week, 4 sledges
each day for the second week, 8 sledges
each day for the third week, and so on.
During the competition, Jason jumped
142 sledges. Assuming he continued his
training pattern, how many weeks did it
take him to reach his competition number
of 142 sledges?

18. The Russian nesting doll or Matryoshka 20. The charge in a car battery, when the car
had its beginnings in 1890. The dolls are is left to sit, decreases by about 2% per
made so that the smallest doll fits inside day and can be modelled by the formula
a larger one, which fits inside a larger C = 100(0.98)d, where d is the time, in
one, and so on, until all the dolls are days, and C is the approximate level of
hidden inside the largest doll. In a set of charge, as a percent.
50 dolls, the tallest doll is 60 cm and the a) Copy and complete the chart to show
smallest is 1 cm. If the decrease in doll the percent of charge remaining in
size approximates a geometric sequence, relation to the time passed.
determine the common ratio. Express your
Time, d (days) Charge Level, C (%)
answer to three decimal places.
0 100
1
2
3
b) Write the general term of this geometric

sequence.
c) Explain how this formula is different
from the formula C = 100(0.98)d.
d) How much charge is left after 10 days?
21. A coiled basket is made using dried pine
needles and sinew. The basket is started
from the centre using a small twist and
spirals outward and upward to shape the
19. The primary function for our kidneys is to
basket. The circular coiling of the basket
filter our blood to remove any impurities.
approximates a geometric sequence, where
Doctors take this into account when
the radius of the first coil is 6 mm.
prescribing the dosage and frequency
of medicine. A person’s kidneys filter a) If the ratio of consecutive coils is 1.22,
out 18% of a particular medicine every calculate the radius for the 8th coil.
two hours. b) If there are 18 coils, what is the
a) How much of the medicine remains circumference of the top coil of
after 12 h if the initial dosage was the basket?
250 mL? Express your answer to the
nearest tenth of a millimetre.
b) When there is less than 20 mL left
in the body, the medicine becomes
ineffective and another dosage is
needed. After how many hours would
this happen?
D id Yo u Kn ow?
Every day, a person’s kidneys process about 190 L

of blood to remove about 1.9 L of waste products
and extra water.

Extend Create Connections
22. Demonstrate that 6a,6b, 6c, . . . forms a 25. Alex, Mala, and Paul were given the
geometric sequence when a, b, c, . . . forms following problem to solve in class.
an arithmetic sequence. An aquarium that originally contains 40 L of water loses
23. If x + 2, 2x + 1, and 4x - 3 are three 8% of its water to evaporation every day. Determine
consecutive terms of a geometric sequence, how much water will be in the aquarium at the
determine the value of the common ratio beginning of the 7th day.
and the three given terms. The three students’ solutions are shown
24. On a six-string guitar, the distance from the below. Which approach to the solution is
nut to the bridge is 38 cm. The distance correct? Justify your reasoning.
from the first fret to the bridge is 35.87 cm, Alex’s solution:
and the distance from the second fret Alex believed that the sequence was
to the bridge is 33.86 cm. This pattern geometric, where t1 = 40, r = 0.08, and n = 7.
approximates a geometric sequence. He used the general formula tn = t1r n - 1.
a) What is the distance from the 8th fret to tn = t1r n - 1
the bridge? tn = 40(0.08)n - 1
t7 = 40(0.08)7 - 1
b) What is the distance from the 12th fret
t7 = 40(0.08)6
to the bridge?
t7 = 0.000 01
c) Determine the distance from the nut to There will be 0.000 01 L of water in the
the first fret. tank at the beginning of the 7th day.
d) Determine the distance from the first Mala’s solution:
fret to the second fret. Mala believed that the sequence was
e) Write the sequence for the first three geometric, where t1 = 40, r = 0.92, and
terms of the distances between the n = 7. She used the general formula
frets. Is this sequence geometric or tn = t1r n - 1.
arithmetic? What is the common ratio tn = t1r n - 1
or common difference? tn = 40(0.92)n - 1
t7 = 40(0.92)7 - 1
t7 = 40(0.92)6
nut t7 = 24.25
1st fret
There will be 24.25 L of water in the tank
at the beginning of the 7th day.
12th fret Paul’s solution:
Paul believed that the sequence was
arithmetic, where t1 = 40 and n = 7.
To calculate the value of d, Paul took
8% of 40 = 3.2. He reasoned that this
bridge would be a negative constant since the
water was gradually disappearing. He used
the general formula tn = t1 + (n - 1)d.
tn = t1 + (n - 1)d
tn = 40 + (n - 1)(-3.2)
t7 = 40 + (7 - 1)(-3.2)
t7 = 40 + (6)(-3.2)
t7 = 20.8
There will be 20.8 L of water in the tank at
the beginning of the 7th day.

26. Copy the puzzle. Fill in the empty boxes c) If another square with an inscribed circle
with positive numbers so that each row is drawn around the squares, what is the
and column forms a geometric sequence. area of the orange region, to the nearest
hundredth of a square centimetre?
d) If this pattern were to continue, what
would be the area of the newly coloured
2 18 region for the 8th square, to the nearest
1 hundredth of a square centimetre?
— 9
4
1 cm
32
100
27. A square has an inscribed circle of radius

1 cm
1 cm.
a) What is the area of the red portion of
the square, to the nearest hundredth of
a square centimetre?
b) If another square with an inscribed
circle is drawn around the original,
what is the area of the blue region,
1 cm
to the nearest hundredth of a square
centimetre?
Project Corner Forestry
• Canada has 402.1 million

hectares (ha) of forest and other
wooded lands. This value
represents 41.1% of Canada’s total
surface area of 979.1 million
hectares.
• Annually, Canada harvests 0.3%
of its commercial forest area. In
2007, 0.9 million hectares were
harvested.
• In 2008, British Columbia
planted its 6 billionth tree
seedling since the 1930s, as part
of its reforestation programs.

1.4
Geometric Series
Focus on . . .
• deriving a rule for determining the sum of n terms of a
geometric series
• determining t1, r, n, or Sn involving a geometric sequence
• solving a problem that involves a geometric series
• identifying any assumptions made when identifying a
geometric series
If you take the time to look closely at nature,

chances are you have seen a fractal. Fractal
geometry is the geometry of nature. The study
of fractals is, mathematically, relatively new. A
fractal is a geometric figure that is generated by
starting with a very simple pattern and repeating
that pattern over and over an infinite number
of times. The basic concept of a fractal is that it
contains a large degree of self-similarity. This
means that a fractal usually contains small copies
of itself buried within the original. Where do you
see fractals in the images shown?
Investigate Fractals
Materials Fractal Tree

• paper A fractal tree is a fractal pattern that results in a realistic looking tree.
• ruler
You can build your own fractal tree:
1. a) Begin with a sheet of paper. Near the bottom of the paper and
centred on the page, draw a vertical line segment approximately
3 cm to 4 cm in length.
b) At the top of the segment, draw two line segments, splitting away
from each other as shown in Stage 2. These segments form the
branches of the tree. Each new branch formed is a smaller version
of the main trunk of the tree.

c) At the top of each new line segment, draw another two branches,
as shown in Stage 3.
Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3
d) Continue this process to complete five stages of the fractal tree.

2. Copy and complete the following table.
Stage 1 2 3 4 5
Number of New Branches 1 2
3. Decide whether a geometric sequence has been generated for

the number of new branches formed at each stage. If a geometric
sequence has been generated, state the first term, the common ratio,
and the general term.
Reflect and Respond

4. a) Would a geometric sequence be generated if there were three We b Link
new branches formed from the end of each previous branch?
The complex
b) Would a geometric sequence be generated if there were four mathematical
new branches formed? equations of fractals
are used in the
5. Describe a strategy you could use to determine the total number creation of many
of branches that would be formed by the end of stage 5. works of art and
computer generated
6. Would this be a suitable strategy to use if you wanted to determine fractals. To learn
the total number of branches up to stage 100? Explain. more about art and
fractals, go to
www.mhrprecalc11.ca
and follow the links.
Image rendered by Anton Bakker based on a fractal tree design by Koos

Verhoeff. Used with permission of the Foundation MathArt Koos Verhoeff.
1.4 Geometric Series • MHR 47

Link the Ideas
geometric series A geometric series is the expression for the sum of the terms of a
• the terms of a geometric sequence.
geometric sequence
expressed as a sum A school district emergency fan-out system is designed to enable
• for example, important information to reach the entire staff of the district very quickly.
3 + 6 + 12 + 24 At the first level, the superintendent calls two assistant superintendents.
is a geometric series The two assistant superintendents each call two area superintendents.
They in turn, each call two principals. The pattern continues with each
person calling two other people.
At every level, the total number of people contacted is twice the number
of people contacted in the previous level. The pattern can be modelled
by a geometric series where the first term is 1 and the common ratio is 2.
The series for the fan-out system would be 1 + 2 + 4 + 8, which gives a
sum of 15 people contacted after 4 levels.
To extend this series to 15 or 20 or 100 levels, you need to determine a
way to calculate the sum of the series other than just adding the terms.
Superintendent
One way to calculate the sum of the series is to use a formula.

To develop a formula for the sum of a series,
List the original series.
S4 = 1 + 2 + 4 + 8 q
Multiply each term in the series by the common ratio.
2(S4 = 1 + 2 + 4 + 8)
2S4 = 2 + 4 + 8 + 16 w The number of staff contacted in the 5th level is 16.
Subtract equation q from equation w.

2S4 = 2 + 4 + 8 + 16
- S4 = 1 + 2 + 4 + 8 Why are the two equations aligned as shown?
(2 - 1)S4 = -1 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 16
Isolate S4 by dividing by (2 - 1).
S4 = __
16 - 1
2-1
S4 = 15
You can use the above method to derive a general formula for the sum of
a geometric series.

The general geometric series may be represented by the following series.
Sn = t1 + t1r + t1r 2 + t1r 3 + . . . + t1r n - 1
Multiply every term in the series by the common ratio, r.
rSn = t1r + t1r(r) + t1r 2(r) + t1r 3(r) + . . . + t1r n - 1(r)
rSn = t1r + t1r 2 + t1r 3 + t1r 3 + . . . + t1r n
Subtract the two equations.
rSn = t1r + t1r 2 + t1r 3 + t1r 4 + . . . + t1r n - 1 + t1r n
Sn = t1 + t1r + t1r 2 + t1r 3 + . . . + t1r n - 1
(r - 1)Sn = -t1 + 0 + 0 + 0 + . . . + 0 + 0 + t1r n
Isolate Sn by dividing by r - 1.
t1r n - t1 t1(r n - 1)
Sn = __ or Sn = __ ,r≠1 Why can r not be equal to 1?
r-1 r-1
The sum of a geometric series is can be determined using the formula

t1(r n - 1)
Sn = __ ,r≠1
r-1
where t1 is the first term of the series
Example 1
Determine the Sum of a Geometric Series
Determine the sum of the first 10 terms of each geometric series.
a) 4 + 12 + 36 + . . .
b) t1 = 5, r = _1
2
Solution
a) In the series, t1 = 4, r = 3, and n = 10.
n
t (r - 1)
__
1
Sn =
r-1
S10 = __
10
4(3 - 1)
3-1
S10 = __
4(59 048)
2
S10 = 118 096
The sum of the first 10 terms of the geometric series is 118 096.

b) In the series, t1 = 5, r = _1 , n = 10
2
n
t (r - 1)
Sn = __
1
r-1
5 _1 10 - 1
[( ) ]
S10 = ___
2
_1 - 1
2
5 _
( 1 -1
)
S10 = ___
1024
-_1
2
S10 = -10 __
-1023
( )
1024
S10 = _
5115
512
The sum of the first 10 terms of the geometric series is _
5115 or 9 _
507 .
512 512
Your Turn
Determine the sum of the first 8 terms of the following geometric series.
a) 5 + 15 + 45 + . . .
b) t1 = 64, r = _
1
4
Example 2
Determine the Sum of a Geometric Series for an Unspecified Number
of Terms
Determine the sum of each geometric series.
a)
_
1
+_
1 +_
1 + . . . + 729
27 9 3
b) 4 - 16 + 64 - . . . - 65 536
Solution
a) Method 1: Determine the Number of Terms
tn = t1r n - 1 Use the general term.
729 = _ 1 (3)n - 1 Substitute known values.

27
(27)(729) = _ 1 (3)n - 1 (27)
[ ]Multiply both sides by 27.
27
(27)(729) = (3)n - 1
(33)(36) = (3)n - 1 Write as powers with a base of 3.
(3)9 = (3)n - 1
9=n-1 Since the bases are the same, the exponents
10 = n must be equal.
There are 10 terms in the series.

Use the general formula for the sum of a geometric series
where n = 10, t1 = _ 1 , and r = _
1.
27 3
t1(r n - 1)
__
Sn =
r-1
_ 1 [(3)10 - 1]
( )
S10 = ___
27
3-1
S10 = __
29 524
27
The sum of the series is __29 524 or 1093 _
13 .
27 27
Method 2: Use an Alternate Formula
Begin with the formula for the general term of a geometric sequence,
tn = t1r n - 1.
Multiply both sides by r.
rtn = (t1r n - 1)(r)
Simplify the right-hand side of the equation.
rtn = t1r n
From the previous work, you know that the general formula for the
sum of a geometric series may be written as
t1r n - t1
Sn = __
r-1
Substitute rtn for t1r n.
rtn - t1
Sn = __ where r ≠ 1.
r-1
This results in a general formula for the sum of a geometric series
when the first term, the nth term, and the common ratio are known.
Determine the sum where r = 3, tn = 729, and t1 = _ 1.
27
rtn - t1
Sn = __
r-1
(3)(729) - _ 1
Sn = ___ 27
3-1
Sn = __
29 524
27
The sum of the series is __29 524 or approximately 1093.48.
27
rt - t
__
n 1
b) Use the alternate formula Sn = , where t = 4, r = -4,
r-1 1
and tn = -65 536.
rtn - t1
Sn = __
r-1
Sn = ____
(-4)(-65 536) - 4
-4 - 1
Sn = -52 428
The sum of the series is -52 428.
Your Turn
Determine the sum of the following geometric series.
a)
_1
+_ 1 +_ 1 + . . . + 1024 b) -2 + 4 - 8 + . . . - 8192
64 16 4

Example 3
Apply Geometric Series
The Western Scrabble™ Network is an organization whose goal is
to promote the game of Scrabble™. It offers Internet tournaments
throughout the year that WSN members participate in. The format of
these tournaments is such that the losers of each round are eliminated
from the next round. The winners continue to play until a final match
determines the champion. If there are 256 entries in an Internet
Scrabble™ tournament, what is the total number of matches that will
be played in the tournament?
Solution
The number of matches played at each stage of the tournament models
the terms of a geometric sequence. There are two players per match, so
the first term, t1, is _
256 = 128 matches. After the first round, half of the
2
players are eliminated due to a loss. The common ratio, r, is _ 1.
2
A single match is played at the end of the tournament to decide the
winner. The nth term of the series, tn, is 1 final match.
rtn - t1
Use the formula Sn = __ for the sum of a geometric series where
r-1
t1 = 128, r = _ 1 , and t = 1.
2 n
rt t
Sn = __ n
- 1
r-1
_1 (1) - 128
( )
Sn = ___
2
( ) _1 - 1
2
__
-255
Sn = __ 2
-_1
2
Sn = __ - _
( -255
)( ) 2
2 1
Sn = 255
There will be 255 matches played
in the tournament
Your Turn
If a tournament has 512 participants, how many matches will be played?

Key Ideas
A geometric series is the expression for the sum of the terms of a

geometric sequence.
For example, 5 + 10 + 20 + 40 + . . . is a geometric series.
The general formula for the sum of the first n terms of a geometric series
with the first term, t1, and the common ratio, r, is
t1(r n - 1)
Sn = __ ,r≠1
r-1
A variation of this formula may be used when the first term, t1, the
common ratio, r, and the nth term, tn, are known, but the number
of terms, n, is not known.
rtn - t1
Sn = __ ,r≠1
r-1
Practise 3. What is Sn for each geometric series

1. Determine whether each series is described? Express your answers as exact
geometric. Justify your answer. values in fraction form.
a) 4 + 24 + 144 + 864 + . . . a) t1 = 12, r = 2, n = 10
b) -40 + 20 - 10 + 5 - . . . b) t1 = 27, r = _1 , n = 8
3
c) 3 + 9 + 18 + 54 + . . . c) t1 = _
1 , r = -4, n = 10
256
d) 10 + 11 + 12.1 + 13.31 + . . . _1 , n = 12
d) t1 = 72, r =
2. For each geometric series, state the values 2
of t1 and r. Then determine each indicated 4. Determine Sn for each geometric series.
sum. Express your answers as exact Express your answers to the nearest
values in fraction form and to the nearest hundredth, if necessary.
hundredth.
a) 27 + 9 + 3 + . . . + _
1
243
a) 6 + 9 + 13.5 + . . . (S )
b) _ + _ + _ + . . . + _
10
1 2 4 128
b) 18 - 9 + 4.5 + . . . (S12) 3 9 27 6561
c) 2.1 + 4.2 + 8.4 + . . . (S9) c) t1 = 5, tn = 81 920, r = 4
d) 0.3 + 0.003 + 0.000 03 + . . . (S12) d) t1 = 3, tn = 46 875, r = -5

5. What is the value of the first term for each 11. Celia is training to run a marathon. In the
geometric series described? Express your first week she runs 25 km and increases
answers to the nearest tenth, if necessary. this distance by 10% each week. This
a) Sn = 33, tn = 48, r = -2 situation may be modelled by the series
_1 25 + 25(1.1) + 25(1.1)2 + . . . . She wishes
b) Sn = 443, n = 6, r = to continue this pattern for 15 weeks. How
3
6. The sum of 4 + 12 + 36 + 108 + . . . + tn is far will she have run in total when she
4372. How many terms are in the series? completes the 15th week? Express your
answer to the nearest tenth of a kilometre.
7. The common ratio of a geometric series
is _
1 and the sum of the first 5 terms is 121. 12. MINI LAB Building the Koch snowflake
3 is a step-by-step process.
a) What is the value of the first term?
• Start with an equilateral triangle.
b) Write the first 5 terms of the series. (Stage 1)
8. What is the second term of a geometric • In the middle of each line segment
series in which the third term is _
9 and the forming the sides of the triangle,
4
sixth term is - _
16 ? Determine the sum of construct an equilateral triangle with
81 side length equal to _
1 of the length of
the first 6 terms. Express your answer to 3
the line segment.
the nearest tenth.
Apply
• Delete the base of this new triangle.
9. A fan-out system is used to contact a
(Stage 2)
large group of people. The person in
charge of the contact committee relays the • For each line segment in Stage 2,
information to four people. Each of these construct an equilateral triangle,
four people notifies four more people, who deleting its base. (Stage 3)
in turn each notify four more people, and • Repeat this process for each line
so on. segment, as you move from one
a) Write the corresponding series for the stage to the next.
number of people contacted.
b) How many people are notified after
10 levels of this system?
10. A tennis ball dropped from a height of
20 m bounces to 40% of its previous height
on each bounce. The total vertical distance
Stage 1 Stage 2
travelled is made up of upward bounces
and downward drops. Draw a diagram to
represent this situation. What is the total
vertical distance the ball has travelled
when it hits the floor for the sixth time?
Express your answer to the nearest tenth
of a metre.
Stage 3 Stage 4

a) Work with a partner. Use dot paper 14. Bead working has a long history among
to draw three stages of the Koch Canada’s Indigenous peoples. Floral
snowflake. designs are the predominate patterns found
b) Copy and complete the following table. among people of the boreal forests and
northern plains. Geometric patterns are
Length of Number Perimeter
found predominately in the Great Plains.
Stage Each Line of Line of
As bead work continues to be popular,
Number Segment Segments Snowflake
traditional patterns are being exchanged
1 1 3 3
among people in all regions. Suppose a set
2
_1 12 4 of 10 beads were laid in a line where each
3
_1 successive bead had a diameter that was _ 3
3 4
9
of the diameter of the previous bead. If
4
the first bead had a diameter of 24 mm,
5 determine the total length of the line of
c) Determine the general term for the beads. Express your answer to the nearest
length of each line segment, the number millimetre.
of line segments, and the perimeter of
D i d You K n ow ?
the snowflake.
Wampum belts consist of rows of beads woven
d) What is the total perimeter of the
together. Weaving traditionally involves stringing
snowflake up to Stage 6? the beads onto twisted plant fibres, and then
13. An advertising company designs a securing them to animal sinew.
campaign to introduce a new product

to a metropolitan area. The company
determines that 1000 people are aware
of the product at the beginning of the
campaign. The number of new people
aware increases by 40% every 10 days
during the advertising
campaign. Determine the
total number of people
who will be aware of
the product after
100 days.
Wanuskewan Native Heritage Park,

Park Cree Nation,
Nation Saskatchewan

15. When doctors prescribe medicine at Create Connections
equally spaced time intervals, they are 20. A fractal is created as follows: A circle is
aware that the body metabolizes the drug drawn with radius 8 cm. Another circle
gradually. After some period of time, only is drawn with half the radius of the
a certain percent of the original amount previous circle. The new circle is tangent
remains. After each dose, the amount to the previous circle at point T as shown.
of the drug in the body is equal to the Suppose this pattern continues through
amount of the given dose plus the amount five steps. What is the sum of the areas
remaining from the previous doses. of the circles? Express your answer as an
The amount of the drug present in the exact fraction.
body after the nth dose is modelled by a
geometric series where t1 is the prescribed
dosage and r is the previous dose
remaining in the body.
Suppose a person with an ear infection
takes a 200-mg ampicillin tablet every 4 h.
About 12% of the drug in the body at the
start of a four-hour period is still present
at the end of that period. What amount of
ampicillin is in the body, to the nearest
tenth of a milligram,
T
a) after taking the third tablet?
21. Copy the following flowcharts. In the
b) after taking the sixth tablet?
appropriate segment of each chart, give a
definition, a general term or sum, or an
Extend example, as required.
16. Determine the number of terms, n,
if 3 + 32 + 33 + . . . + 3n = 9840. Sequences
17. The third term of a geometric series is 24
and the fourth term is 36. Determine the
sum of the first 10 terms. Express your
answer as an exact fraction. Arithmetic Geometric
18. Three numbers, a, b, and c, form a

geometric series so that a + b + c = 35 and
abc = 1000. What are the values of a, b, General Example General Example
Term Term
and c?
19. The sum of the first 7 terms of a geometric
series is 89, and the sum of the first
8 terms is 104. What is the value of the Series
eighth term?
Arithmetic Geometric
General Example General Example

Sum Sum

22. Tom learned that the monarch butterfly a) What assumptions did Tom make in his
lays an average of 400 eggs. He decided calculations?
to calculate the growth of the butterfly b) Do you agree with the method Tom
population from a single butterfly by using used to arrive at the number of
the logic that the first butterfly produced butterflies? Explain.
400 butterflies. Each of those butterflies
c) Would this be a reasonable estimate of
would produce 400 butterflies, and this
the total number of butterflies in the
pattern would continue. Tom wanted
fifth generation? Explain.
to estimate how many butterflies there
would be in total in the fifth generation d) Explain a method you would use to
following this pattern. His calculation is calculate the number of butterflies in
shown below. the fifth generation.
Sn =
__
a(r n - 1) D i d You K n ow ?
r-1
S5 =
__
1(4005 - 1) According to the American Indian Butterfly Legend:
400 - 1 If anyone desires a wish to come true they must
first capture a butterfly and whisper that wish to it.
S5 ≈ 2.566 × 1010
Since a butterfly can make no sound, the butterfly
Tom calculated that there would be cannot reveal the wish to anyone but the Great
approximately 2.566 × 1010 monarch Spirit who hears and sees all.
butterflies in the In gratitude for giving the beautiful butterfly its
freedom, the Great Spirit always grants the wish.
fifth generation.
So, according to legend, by making a wish and giving
the butterfly its freedom, the wish will be taken to
the heavens and be granted.
Project Corner Oil Discovery
• The first oil well in Canada was discovered by James Miller Williams in 1858
near Oil Springs, Ontario. The oil was taken to Hamilton, Ontario, where it was
refined into lamp oil. This well produced 37 barrels a day. By 1861 there were
400 wells in the area.
• In 1941, Alberta’s population was approximately 800 000. By 1961, it was about
1.3 million.
• In February 1947, oil was struck in Leduc, Alberta. Leduc was the largest
discovery in Canada in 33 years. By the end of 1947, 147 more wells were
drilled in the Leduc-Woodbend oilfield.
• With these oil discoveries came accelerated population growth. In 1941, Leduc
was inhabited by 871 people. By 1951, its population had grown to 1842.
• Leduc #1 was capped in 1974, after producing 300 000 barrels of oil and
9 million cubic metres of natural gas.

1.5
Infinite Geometric Series
Focus on . . .
• generalizing a rule for determining the sum of an infinite geometric series
• explaining why a geometric series is convergent or divergent
• solving a problem that involves a geometric sequence or series
In the fifth century B.C.E., the Greek philosopher Zeno of Elea

posed four problems, now known as Zeno’s paradoxes. These
problems were intended to challenge some of the ideas that
were held in his day. His paradox of motion states that a person
standing in a room cannot walk to the wall. In order to do so,
the person would first have to go half the distance, then half the
remaining distance, and then half of what still remains. This
process can always be continued and can never end.
0 1
D i d You K n ow ?
The word paradox

comes from the Greek
1 1 1 1 1 para doxa, meaning
— — — — — something contrary to
2 4 8 16 32 opinion.
Zeno’s argument is that there is no motion, because that which is moved

must arrive at the middle before it arrives at the end, and so on to infinity.
Where does the argument break down? Why?
Investigate an Infinite Series
Materials 1. Start with a square piece of paper.

• square piece of paper a) Draw a line dividing it in half.
• ruler b) Shade one of the halves.
c) In the unshaded half of the square, draw
a line to divide it in half. Shade one of
the halves.
d) Repeat part c) at least six more times.
2. Write a sequence of terms indicating the area of each newly shaded
region as a fraction of the entire page. List the first five terms.
3. Predict the next two terms for the sequence.

4. Is the sequence arithmetic, geometric, or neither? Justify your answer.
5. Write the rule for the nth term of the sequence.
6. Ignoring physical limitations, could this sequence continue
indefinitely? In other words, would this be an infinite sequence?
Explain your answer.
7. What conclusion can you make about the area of the square that
would remain unshaded as the number of terms in the sequence
approaches infinity?
Reflect and Respond
( _12 ) .
x
8. Using a graphing calculator, input the function y =
a) Using the table of values from the calculator, what happens to the
value of y = _
x
1 as x gets larger and larger?
( )
2
b) Can the value of _ ever equal zero?
x
1
2 ( )
9. The geometric series _ + _ + _ + _ + . . . can be written as
1 1 1 1
2 4 8 16
_1 + _1 2 + _1 3 + _1 4 + . . . + _1 x.
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
2 2 2 2 2
You can use the general formula to determine the sum of the series.
t1(1 - r x)
Sx = __ For values of r < 1, the general
(1 - r) t1(r x - 1)
__
_1 1 - _1
( ( ))
x formula Sx
=
(r - 1)
can be
Sx = ___
2 2 written for convenience as
1- _
1
Sx =
t1(1 - r x)
__ .
2 (1 - r)
Sx = 1 - _
x
1 Why do you think this is true?
( )
2
Enter the function into your calculator and use the table feature to
find the sum, Sx, as x gets larger.
a) What happens to the sum, Sx, as x gets larger?

b) Will the sum increase without limit? Explain your reasoning.
10. a) As the value of x gets very large, what value can you assume that
r x becomes close to?
b) Use your answer from part a) to modify the formula for the
sum of a geometric series to determine the sum of an infinite
geometric series.
c) Use your formula from part b) to determine the sum of the infinite
geometric series _
1 + _
1 2+ _
1 3+ _
1 4 + ....
( ) ( ) ( )
2 2 2 2
1.5 Infinite Geometric Series • MHR 59

Link the Ideas
Convergent Series
Consider the series 4 + 2 + 1 + 0.5 + 0.25 + . . .
S5 = 7.75
S7 = 7.9375
S9 = 7.9844
S11 = 7.9961
S13 = 7.999
S15 = 7.9998
S17 = 7.9999
As the number of terms increases, the sequence of partial sums
approaches a fixed value of 8. Therefore, the sum of this series is 8.
convergent series This series is said to be a convergent series.
• a series with an infinite
Divergent Series
number of terms, in
which the sequence Consider the series 4 + 8 + 16 + 32 + . . .
of partial sums
approaches a fixed S1 = 4
value S2 = 12
• a series for which r is S3 = 28
between -1 and 1 S4 = 60
• for example, S5 = 124
_1 _1 _1
1 + + + + ...
2 4 8 As the number of terms increases, the sum of the series continues to
grow. The sequence of partial sums does not approach a fixed value.
Therefore, the sum of this series cannot be calculated. This series is said
divergent series to be a divergent series.
• a series with an infinite
Infinite Geometric Series
number of terms, in
which the sequence of The formula for the sum of a geometric series is
partial sums does not
n
approach a fixed value t (1 - r )
__
1
Sn = .
• a series for which 1-r
r > 1 or r < -1 As n gets very large, the value of the r n approaches 0, for values of r
• for example, between -1 and 1.
2 + 4 + 8 + 16 + . . .
t1
So, as n gets large, the partial sum Sn approaches _ .
1-r
Therefore, the sum of an infinite geometric series is
t1
S∞ = _ , where -1 < r < 1.
1-r

The sum of an infinite geometric series, where -1 < r < 1, can be
determined using the formula
t1
S∞ = _
1-r
where t1 is the first term of the series
S∞ represents the sum of an infinite number of terms
Applying the formula to the series 4 + 2 + 1 + 0.5 + 0.25 + . . .

t1
S∞ = _ , where -1 < r < 1,
1-r
S∞ = __ 4
1 - 0.5
S∞ = _4
0.5
S∞ = 8
Example 1
Sum of an Infinite Geometric Series
Decide whether each infinite geometric series is convergent or divergent.
State the sum of the series, if it exists.
a) 1 - _1 + _1 - . . . b) 2 - 4 + 8 - . . .
3 9
Solution
a) t1 = 1, r = - _1
3
Since -1 < r < 1, the series is convergent.
Use the formula for the sum of an infinite geometric series.
t1
S∞ = _ , where -1 < r < 1,
1-r
S∞ = __ 1
1 - -_ 1
( )
3
S∞ = _ 1
_4
3
S∞ = (1) _ 3
( )
4
S∞ = _3
4
b) t1 = 2, r = -2
Since r < -1, the series is divergent and has no sum.
Your Turn
Determine whether each infinite geometric series converges or diverges.
Calculate the sum, if it exists.
a) 1 + _ + _ + . . .
1 1 b) 4 + 8 + 16 + . . .
5 25

Example 2
Apply the Sum of an Infinite Geometric Series
Assume that each shaded square
represents _
1 of the area of the larger
4
square bordering two of its adjacent
sides and that the shading continues
indefinitely in the indicated manner.
a) Write the series of terms that
would represent this situation.
b) How much of the total area of the
largest square is shaded?
Solution
a) The sequence of shaded regions generates an infinite geometric
sequence. The series of terms that represents this situation is
_1 + _1 +_ 1 + ...
4 16 64
b) To determine the total area shaded, you need to determine the sum of
all the shaded regions within the largest square.
For this series,

First term t1 = _
1
4
Common ratio r=_ 1
4
Use the formula for the sum of an infinite geometric series.
t1
S∞ = _ , where -1 < r < 1,
1-r
_1
S∞ = __ 4
1-_ 1
4
_1
_
S∞ = 4
_3
4
S∞ = _1 _
4
( )( )
4 3
S∞ = _
1
3
A total area of _
1 of the largest square is shaded.
3
Your Turn
____
You can express 0.584 as an infinite geometric series.
____
0.584 = 0.584 584 584 . . .
= 0.584 + 0.000 584 + 0.000 000 584 + . . .
Determine the sum of the series.

Key Ideas
An infinite geometric series is a geometric series that has an infinite

number of terms; that is, the series has no last term.
An infinite series is said to be convergent if its sequence of partial sums
approaches a finite number. This number is the sum of the infinite series.
An infinite series that is not convergent is said to be divergent.
An infinite geometric series has a sum when -1 < r < 1 and the sum is given by
t1
S∞ = _ .
1-r
Practise 5. What is the sum of each infinite

1. State whether each infinite geometric geometric series?
a) 5 + 5 _ + 5 _ + 5
( ) ( ) ( _23 ) + . . .
series is convergent or divergent. 2 2 2 3
3 3
a) t1 = -3, r = 4
( ) ( ) (- _14 ) + . . .
_ + -_ 1 2+ 3
1
= 4, r = - _
1 b) 1 + -
b) t1 4 4
4
( ) ( ) ( _12 ) + . . .
_ _ 2 3
1 1
c) 125 + 25 + 5 + . . . c) 7 + 7 +7 +7
2 2
d) (-2) + (-4) + (-8) + . . .
_
243 - _
81 + _
27 - _
9 + ... Apply
e)
3125 625 25 5 6. The sum of an infinite geometric series is
2. Determine the sum of each infinite 81, and its common ratio is _ 2 . What is the
3
geometric series, if it exists.
value of the first term? Write the first three
a) t1 = 8, r = - _
1 terms of the series.
4
b) t1 = 3, r = _
4 7. The first term of an infinite geometric
3 series is -8, and its sum is - _
40 . What
c) t1 = 5, r = 1 3
is the common ratio? Write the first four
d) 1 + 0.5 + 0.25 + . . . terms of the series.
e) 4 - _
12 + _
36 - _
108 + . . .
8. In its first month, an oil well near Virden,
5 25 125
Manitoba produced 24 000 barrels of
3. Express each of the following as an infinite
crude. Every month after that, it produced
geometric series. Determine the sum of
94% of the previous month’s production.
the series.
___ a) If this trend continued, what would be
a) 0.87
____ the lifetime production of this well?
b) 0.437
b) What assumption are you making? Is
4. Does 0.999… = 1? Support your answer. your assumption reasonable?

9. The infinite series given by 16. A pile driver pounds a metal post into
1 + 3x + 9x + 27x + . . . has a sum
2 3
the ground. With the first impact, the post
of 4. What is the value of x? List the moves 30 cm; with the second impact it
first four terms of the series. moves 27 cm. Predict the total distance that
10. The sum of an infinite series is twice the post will be driven into the ground if
its first term. Determine the value of the a) the distances form a geometric sequence
common ratio. and the post is pounded 8 times
11. Each of the following represents an infinite b) the distances form a geometric sequence
geometric series. For what values of x will and the post is pounded indefinitely
each series be convergent? 17. Dominique and Rita are discussing the
a) 5 + 5x + 5x2 + 5x3 + . . . 1 +_
series - _ 4 -_ 16 + . . . . Dominique says
3 9 27
b) 1 + _x + _
x +_ 2
x + ... 3
that the sum of the series is - _ 1 . Rita says
3 9 27 7
c) 2 + 4x + 8x2 + 16x3 + . . . that the series is divergent and has no sum.
12. Each side of an equilateral triangle has a) Who is correct?
length of 1 cm. The midpoints of the sides b) Explain your reasoning.
are joined to form an inscribed equilateral 18. A hot air balloon rises 25 m
triangle. Then, the midpoints of the sides in its first minute of
of that triangle are joined to form another flight. Suppose that
triangle. If this process continues forever, in each succeeding
what is the sum of the perimeters of the minute the balloon
triangles? rises only 80%
as high as in the
previous minute.
What would be
1
—
2 the balloon’s
1
1 maximum
—
4 altitude?
13. The length of the initial swing of a Hot air balloon rising over Calgary.
pendulum is 50 cm. Each successive swing Extend
is 0.8 times the length of the previous 19. A square piece of paper with a side length
swing. If this process continues forever, of 24 cm is cut into four small squares,
how far will the pendulum swing? each with side lengths of 12 cm. Three of
14. Andrew uses the formula for the these squares are placed side by side. The
sum of an infinite geometric series to remaining square is cut into four smaller
evaluate 1 + 1.1 + 1.21 + 1.331 + . . . . He squares, each with side lengths of 6 cm.
calculates the sum of the series to be 10. Is Three of these squares are placed side by
Andrew’s answer reasonable? Explain. side with the bigger squares. The fourth
square is cut into four smaller squares and
15. A ball is dropped from a height of 16 m.
three of these squares are placed side by
The ball rebounds to one half of its
side with the bigger squares. Suppose this
previous height each time it bounces. If
process continues indefinitely. What is the
the ball keeps bouncing, what is the total
length of the arrangement of squares?
vertical distance the ball travels?

20. The sum of the series 23. MINI LAB Work in a group of three.
0.98 + 0.982 + 0.983 + . . . + 0.98n = 49.
Step 1 Begin with a large sheet of graph paper
The sum of the series
and draw a square. Assume that the
0.02 + 0.0004 + 0.000 008 + . . . = _ 1.
area of this square is 1.
49
The common ratio in the first series is 0.98 Step 2 Cut the square into 4 equal parts.
and the common ratio in the second series Distribute one part to each member
is 0.02. The sum of these ratios is equal of your group. Cut the remaining part
to 1. Suppose that _ 1 = x + x2 + x3 + . . .,
z into 4 equal parts. Again distribute one
where z is an integer and x = __ 1 . part to each group member. Subdivide
z+1 the remaining part into 4 equal parts.
a) Create another pair of series that would Suppose you could continue this
follow this pattern, where the sum of pattern indefinitely.
the common ratios of the two series is 1.
b) Determine the sum of each series using
the formula for the sum of an infinite
series.
Step 3 Write a sequence for the fraction of

Create Connections the original square that each student
21. Under what circumstances will an infinite
received at each stage.
geometric series converge?
22. The first two terms of a series are 1 and _1 . n 0 1 2 3 4
4 Fraction of
Determine a formula for the sum of n terms 0
Paper
if the series is
Step 4 Write the total area of paper each
a) an arithmetic series
student has as a series of partial sums.
b) a geometric series What do you expect the sum to be?
c) an infinite geometric series
Project Corner Petroleum
• The Athabasca Oil Sands have estimated oil reserves in excess of that of the rest
of the world. These reserves are estimated to be 1.6 trillion barrels.
• Canada is the seventh largest oil producing country in the world. In 2008, Canada
produced an average of 438 000 m3 per day of crude oil, crude bitumen, and
natural gas.
• As Alberta’s reserves of light crude oil began to deplete, so did production. By
1997, Alberta’s light crude oil production totalled 37.3 million cubic metres. This
production has continued to decline each year since, falling to just over half of its
1990 total at 21.7 million cubic metres in 2005.

Chapter 1 Review
1.1 Arithmetic Sequences, pages 6—21 6. The Gardiner Dam, located 100 km south
1. Determine whether each of the following of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, is the largest
sequences is arithmetic. If it is arithmetic, earth-filled dam in the world. Upon its
state the common difference. opening in 1967, engineers discovered that
the pressure from Lake Diefenbaker had
a) 36, 40, 44, 48, . . .
moved the clay-based structure 200 cm
b) -35, -40, -45, -50, . . . downstream. Since then, the dam has
c) 1, 2, 4, 8, . . . been moving at a rate of 2 cm per year.
d) 8.3, 4.3, 0.3, -3, -3.7, . . . Determine the distance the dam will have
moved downstream by the year 2020.
2. Match the equation for the nth term of
an arithmetic sequence to the correct
sequence.
a) 18, 30, 42, 54, 66, . . . A tn = 3n + 1
b) 7, 12, 17, 22, . . . B tn = -4(n + 1)
c) 2, 4, 6, 8, . . . C tn = 12n + 6
d) -8, -12, -16, -20, . . . D tn = 5n + 2
e) 4, 7, 10, 13, . . . E tn = 2n
3. Consider the sequence 7, 14, 21, 28, . . . .
Determine whether each of the following
numbers is a term of this sequence. Justify
your answer. If the number is a term of 1.2 Arithmetic Series, pages 22—31
the sequence, determine the value of n for 7. Determine the indicated sum for each of
that term. the following arithmetic series
a) 98 b) 110 a) 6 + 9 + 12 + . . . (S )
10
c) 378 d) 575 b) 4.5 + 8 + 11.5 + . . . (S12)
4. Two sequences are given: c) 6 + 3 + 0 + . . . (S10)
Sequence 1 is 2, 9, 16, 23, . . .
d) 60 + 70 + 80 + . . . (S20)
Sequence 2 is 4, 10, 16, 22, . . .
8. The sum of the first 12 terms of an
a) Which of following statements is
arithmetic series is 186, and the 20th term
correct?
is 83. What is the sum of the first 40 terms?
A t17 is greater in sequence 1.
9. You have taken a job that requires being
B t17 is greater in sequence 2. in contact with all the people in your
C t17 is equal in both sequences. neighbourhood. On the first day, you are
b) On a grid, sketch a graph of each able to contact only one person. On the
sequence. Does the graph support your second day, you contact two more people
answers in part a)? Explain. than you did on the first day. On day three,
you contact two more people than you
5. Determine the tenth term of the arithmetic
did on the previous day. Assume that the
sequence in which the first term is 5 and
pattern continues.
the fourth term is 17.
a) How many people would you contact
on the 15th day?
b) Determine the total number of people
you would have been in contact with by
the end of the 15th day.

c) How many days would you need 14. In the Mickey Mouse fractal shown below,
to contact the 625 people in your the original diagram has a radius of 81 cm.
neighbourhood? Each successive circle has a radius _ 1 of the
3
10. A new set of designs is created by the previous radius. What is the circumference
addition of squares to the previous pattern. of the smallest circle in the 4th stage?
Step 1 Step 2
Original Stage 1 Stage 2
15. Use the following flowcharts to describe

what you know about arithmetic and
geometric sequences.
Arithmetic Geometric
Step 3 Step 4 Sequence Sequence
a) Determine the total number of squares
in the 15th step of this design. Definition Definition
b) Determine the total number of squares
required to build all 15 steps.
11. A concert hall has 10 seats in the first row.
Formula Formula
The second row has 12 seats. If each row
has 2 seats more than the row before it and
there are 30 rows of seats, how many seats
Example Example
are in the entire concert hall?
1.3 Geometric Sequences, pages 32—45

1.4 Geometric Series, pages 46—57
12. Determine whether each of the following
16. Decide whether each of the following
sequences is geometric. If it is geometric,
statements relates to an arithmetic series
determine the common ratio, r, the first
or a geometric series.
term, t1, and the general term of the
sequence. a) A sum of terms in which the difference
between consecutive terms is constant.
a) 3, 6, 10, 15, . . .
b) A sum of terms in which the ratio of
b) 1, -2, 4, -8, . . .
consecutive terms is constant.
c) 1, _1 , _1 , _1 , . . . t1(r n - 1)
2 4 8 c) Sn = __ ,r≠1
d) _
16 , - _3 , 1, . . . r-1
n[2t1 + (n - 1)d]
Sn = ____
9 4
d)
13. A culture initially has 5000 bacteria, and 2
the number increases by 8% every hour. e) _1 + _1 + _3 + 1 + . . .
4 2 4
a) How many bacteria are present at the
end of 5 h? f) _1 + _1 + _1 + _ 2 + ...
4 6 9 27
b) Determine a formula for the number of
bacteria present after n hours.
Chapter 1 Review • MHR 67

17. Determine the sum indicated for each of 21. Given the infinite geometric series:
the following geometric series. 7 - 2.8 + 1.12 - 0.448 + . . .
a) 6 + 9 + 13.5 + . . . (S )10
a) What is the common ratio, r?
b) 18 + 9 + 4.5 + . . . (S12) b) Determine S1, S2, S3, S4, and S5.
c) 6000 + 600 + 60 + . . . (S20) c) What is the particular value that the
d) 80 + 20 + 5 + . . . (S ) sums are approaching?
9
18. A student programs a computer to draw d) What is the sum of the series?
a series of straight lines with each line 22. Draw four squares adjacent to each other.
beginning at the end of the previous line The first square has a side length of 1 unit,
and at right angles to it. The first line the second has a side length of _1 unit, the
is 4 mm long. Each subsequent line is 2
25% longer than the previous one, so that third has a side length of _
1 unit, and the
4
a spiral shape is formed as shown. fourth has a side length of _1 unit.
8
a) Calculate the area of each square. Do
the areas form a geometric sequence?
Justify your answer.
b) What is the total area of the four
squares?
c) If the process of adding squares with
half the side length of the previous
a) What is the length, in millimetres,
square continued indefinitely,
of the eighth straight line drawn by
what would the total area of all the
the program? Express your answer to
squares be?
the nearest tenth of a millimetre.
23. a) Copy and complete each of the
b) Determine the total length of the spiral,
following statements.
in metres, when 20 straight lines have
been drawn. Express your answer to the • A series is geometric if there is a
nearest hundredth of a metre. common ratio r such that .
• An infinite geometric series converges
if .
1.5 Infinite Geometric Series, pages 58—65 • An infinite geometric series diverges
19. Determine the sum of the each of the if .
following infinite geometric series. b) Give two examples of convergent
a) 5 + 5 _ + 5 _ + 5 _ + . . .
2 2 2 2 3 infinite geometric series one with
( ) ( ) ( )
3 3 3 positive common ratio and one with
b) 1 + (- _ ) + (- _ ) + (- _ ) + . . .
1 1 2
1 3 negative common ratio. Determine the
3 3 3 sum of each of your series.
20. For each of the following series, state
whether it is convergent or divergent.
For those that are convergent, determine
the sum.
a) 8 + 4 + 2 + 1 + . . .
b) 8 + 12 + 27 + 40.5 + . . .
c) -42 + 21 - 10.5 + 5.25 - . . .
d) _3 + _3 + _
3 +_
3 + ...
4 8 16 32

Multiple Choice Short Answer
For # 1 to #5, choose the best answer. 6. A set of hemispherical bowls are made so
they can be nested for easy storage. The
1. What are the missing terms of the largest bowl has a radius of 30 cm and
arithmetic sequence , 3, 9, , ? each successive bowl has a radius 90% of
A 1, 27, 81 B 9, 3, 9 the preceding one. What is the radius of
C -6, 12, 17 D -3, 15, 21 the tenth bowl?
2. Marc has set up in his father’s grocery store 30 cm
a display of cans as shown in the diagram.
The top row (Row 1) has 1 can and each
successive row has 3 more cans than the
previous row. Which expression would 7. Use the following graphs to compare and
represent the number of cans in row n? contrast an arithmetic and a geometric
sequence.
y Arithmetic Sequence
14
12
10
8
A Sn = 3n + 1 B tn = 3n - 2
6
C tn = 3n + 2 D Sn = 3n - 3
4
3. What is the sum of the first five
terms of the geometric series 2
16 807 - 2401 + 343 - . . .?
A 19 607 B 14 707 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 x
C 16 807.29 D 14 706.25
y Geometric Sequence
4. The numbers represented by a, b and c
are the first three terms of an arithmetic 30
sequence. The number c, when expressed in
terms of a and b, would be represented by 25
A a+b B 2b - a 20
C a + (n - 1)b D 2a + b
15
5. The 20th term of a geometric sequence is
524 288 and the 14th term is 8192. The 10
value of the third term could be 5
A 4 only B 8 only
C +4 or -4 D +8 or -8 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 x
Chapter 1 Practice Test • MHR 69

8. If 3, A, 27 is an arithmetic sequence Extended Response
and 3, B, 27 is a geometric sequence 11. Scientists have been measuring the
where B > 0, then what are the values continental drift between Europe and
of A and B? North America for about 25 years. The
9. Josephine Mandamin, an Anishinabe elder data collected show that the continents
from Thunder Bay, Ontario, set out to walk are moving apart at a steady rate of about
around the Great Lakes to raise awareness 17 mm per year.
about the quality of water in the lakes. In six a) According to the Pangaea theory,
years, she walked 17 000 km. If Josephine Europe and North America were
increased the number of kilometres walked connected at one time. Assuming this
per week by 2% every week, how many theory is correct, write an arithmetic
kilometres did she walk in the first week? sequence that describes how far apart
the continents were at the end of each
of the first five years after separation.
b) Determine the general term that
describes the arithmetic sequence.
c) Approximately how many years did it
take to separate to the current distance
of 6000 km?
d) What assumptions did you make in
part c)?
12. Photodynamic therapy is used in patients
with certain types of disease. A doctor
injects a patient with a drug that is
attracted to the diseased cells. The diseased
cells are then exposed to red light from a
10. Consider the sequence 5, , , , , 160. laser. This procedure targets and destroys
diseased cells while limiting damage to
a) Assume the sequence is arithmetic.
surrounding healthy tissue. The drug
Determine the unknown terms of the
remains in the normal cells of the body and
sequence.
must be bleached out by exposure to the
b) What is the general term of the
sun. A patient must be exposed to the sun
arithmetic sequence? for 30 s on the first day, and then increase
c) Assume the sequence is geometric. the exposure by 30 s every day until a total
Determine the unknown terms of the of 30 min is reached.
sequence. a) Write the first five terms of the
d) What is the general term of the sequence of sun exposure times.
geometric sequence? b) Is the sequence arithmetic or geometric?
c) How many days are required to reach the
goal of 30 min of exposure to the sun?
d) What is the total number of minutes of
sun exposure when a patient reaches
the 30 min goal?

Unit 1 Project
Canada’s Natural Resources
Canada is the source of more than 60 mineral commodities, including
metals, non-metals, structural materials, and mineral fuels.
Quarrying and mining are among the oldest industries in Canada. In
1672, coal was discovered on Cape Breton Island.
In the 1850s, gold discoveries in British Columbia, oil finds in Ontario,
and increased production of Cape Breton coal marked a turning point
in Canadian mineral history.
In 1896, gold was found in the Klondike District of what became Yukon
Territory, giving rise to one of the world’s most spectacular gold rushes.
In the late 1800s, large deposits of coal and oil sands were evident in
part of the North-West Territories that later became Alberta.
In the post-war era there were many major mineral discoveries:
deposits of nickel in Manitoba; zinc-lead, copper, and molybdenum
in British Columbia; and base metals and asbestos in Québec, Ontario,
Manitoba, Newfoundland, Yukon Territory, and British Columbia.
The discovery of the famous Leduc oil field in Alberta in 1947 was
followed by a great expansion of Canada’s petroleum industry.
In the late 1940s and early 1950s, uranium was discovered in
Saskatchewan and Ontario. In fact, Canada is now the world’s largest
uranium producer.
Canada’s first diamond-mining operation began production in October
1998 at the Ekati mine in Lac de Gras, Northwest Territories, followed
by the Diavik mine in 2002.
Chapter 1 Task
Choose a natural resource that you would like to research. You may
wish to look at some of the information presented in the Project Corner
boxes throughout Chapter 1 for ideas. Research your chosen resource.
• List interesting facts about your chosen resource, including what it is,
how it is produced, where it is exported, how much is exported, and
so on.
• Look for data that would support using a sequence or series in
discussing or describing your resource. List the terms for the
sequence or series you include.
• Use the information you have gathered in a sequence or series to
predict possible trends in the use or production of the resource over a
ten-year period.
• Describe any effects the production of the natural resource has on the
community.
Unit 1 Project • MHR 71

Unit 1 End Matter
Unit 1 consists of Chapters 1–3.
To preview chapters 2 and 3 please visit

www.westernmath.ca
Unit 1 Project
The emphasis of the Chapter 2 Task is the location of your resource.
You will describe the route of discovery of the resource and the
planned area of the resource.
Chapter 2 Task
We b Link
The Journey to Locate the Resource
To obtain a copy of an
• Use the map provided. Include a brief log of the journey leading to exploration map, go to
www.mhrprecalc11.ca
your discovery. The exploration map is the route that you followed to and follow the links.
discover your chosen resource.
• With your exploration map, determine the total distance of your
route, to the nearest tenth of a kilometre. Begin your journey at
point A and conclude at point J. Include the height of the Sawback
Ridge and the width of Crow River in your calculations.
Developing the Area of Your Planned Resource
• Your job as a resource development officer for the company is to

present a possible area of development. You are restricted by land
boundaries to the triangular shape shown, with side AB of 3.9 km,
side AC of 3.4 km, and ∠B = 60°.
• Determine all measures of the triangular region that your company
could develop.
Possible Proposed Development

A
3.9 km 3.4 km h
60°
B C D
Unit 1 Project • MHR 131

Unit 1 Project Wrap-Up
You need investment capital to develop your resource. Prepare a
presentation to make to your investors to encourage them to invest in
your project. You can use a written or visual presentation, a brochure, a
video production, a computer slide show presentation, or an interactive
whiteboard presentation.
Your presentation should include the following:
• Actual data taken from Canadian sources on the production of your
chosen resource. Use sequences and series to show how production
has increased or decreased over time, and to predict future production
and sales.
• A fictitious account of a recent discovery of your resource, including a
map of the area showing the accompanying distances.
• A proposal for how the resource area will be developed over the next
few years
132 MHR • Unit 1 Project Wrap-Up

Cumulative Review, Chapters 1—2
Chapter 1 Sequences and Series
1. Match each term to the correct expression. 6. Phytoplankton, or algae, is a nutritional
a) arithmetic sequence supplement used in natural health
programs. Canadian Pacific Phytoplankton
b) geometric sequence
Ltd. is located in Nanaimo, British
c) arithmetic series Columbia. The company can grow 10 t of
d) geometric series marine phytoplankton on a regular 11-day
e) convergent series cycle. Assume this cycle continues.
A 3, 7, 11, 15, 19, . . . a) Create a graph showing the amount of
B 5+1+_
1 +_
1 + ... phytoplankton produced for the first
5 25 five cycles of production.
C 1 + 2 + 4 + 8 + 16 + . . .
b) Write the general term for the sequence
D 1, 3, 9, 27, 81, . . .
produced.
E 2 + 5 + 8 + 11 + 14 + . . .
c) How does the general term relate to the
2. Classify each sequence as arithmetic or characteristics of the linear function
geometric. State the value of the common described by the graph?
difference or common ratio. Then, write
7. The Living Shangri-La is the tallest
the next three terms in each sequence.
building in Metro Vancouver. The ground
a) 27, 18, 12, 8, . . . floor of the building is 5.8 m high, and
b) 17, 14, 11, 8, . . . each floor above the ground floor is
c) -21, -16, -11, -6, . . . 3.2 m high. There are 62 floors altogether,
including the ground floor. How tall is
d) 3, -6, 12, -24, . . .
the building?
3. For each arithmetic sequence, determine
the general term. Express your answer in
simplified form.
a) 18, 15, 12, 9, . . .
b) 1, _5 , 4, _
11 , . . .
2 2
4. Use the general term to determine t20 in the
geometric sequence 2, -4, 8, -16, . . . .
5. a) What is S12 for the arithmetic series with
a common difference of 3 and t12 = 31?
b) What is S5 for a geometric series where
t1 = 4 and t10 = 78 732?
Cumulative Review, Chapters 1—2 • MHR 133

8. Tristan and Julie are preparing a math 12. The clock tower on the post office in
display for the school open house. Both Battleford, Saskatchewan, demonstrates
students create posters to debate the the distinctive Romanesque Revival style
following question: of public buildings designed in the early
Does 0.999 . . . = 1? decades of the twentieth century. The
Battleford Post Office is similar in design
Julie’s Poster
to the post offices in Humboldt and
0.999... ≠ 1 Melfort. These three buildings are the only
0.999... = 0.999 999 999 999 9... surviving post offices of this type in the
Prairie Provinces.
The decimal will continue
to infinity and will never a) What is the measure of the angle, θ,
reach exactly one. created between the hands of the clock
when it reads 3 o’clock?
Tristan’s Poster b) If the length of the minute hand is
2 ft, sketch a diagram to represent the
0.999... = 1
Rewrite 0.999... in expanded form.
clock face on a coordinate grid with
9 +-
9 +- 9 +... the centre at the origin. Label the
-
10 100 1000 coordinates represented by the tip of
This can be written as a geometric the minute hand.
9 and r =
series where t 1 = -
10 c) What are the exact values for sin θ,
cos θ, and tan θ at 3 o’clock?
a) Finish Tristan’s poster by determining

the value of the common ratio and
then finding the sum of the infinite
geometric series.
b) Which student do you think
correctly answered the question?
Chapter 2 Trigonometry
9. Determine the exact distance, in simplified
form, from the origin to a point P(-2, 4)
on the terminal arm of an angle.
10. Point P(15, 8) is on the terminal arm of
angle θ. Determine the exact values for
sin θ, cos θ, and tan θ.
11. Sketch each angle in standard position
and determine the measure of the
reference angle.
a) 40° Battleford post office
b) 120°
c) 225°
d) 300°
134 MHR • Cumulative Review, Chapters 1—2

13. Determine the exact value of each 16. Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta is
trigonometric ratio. a popular site for birdwatching, with over
a) sin 405° b) cos 330° 250 species of birds recorded. Chelsea
spots a rare pileated woodpecker in a
c) tan 225° d) cos 180°
tree at an angle of elevation of 52°. After
e) tan 150° f) sin 270° walking 16 m closer to the tree,
14. Radio collars are used to track polar bears she determines the new
by sending signals via GPS to receiving angle of elevation
stations. Two receiving stations are 9 km to be 70°.
apart along a straight road. At station A, a) Sketch and label
the signal from one of the collars comes a diagram to
from a direction of 49° from the road. At represent the
station B, the signal from the same collar situation.
comes from a direction of 65° from the
b) What is the
road. Determine the distance the polar bear
closest distance
is from each of the stations.
that Chelsea is
15. The Arctic Wind Riders is a program from the bird,
developed to introduce youth in the to the nearest
communities of Northern Canada to the tenth of a
unique sport of Paraski. This sport allows metre?
participants to sail over frozen bays, rivers,
and snowy tundra using wind power.
The program has been offered to close to
17. In RST, RT = 2 m, ST = 1.4 m, and
700 students and young adults. A typical
∠R = 30°. Determine the measure of obtuse
Paraski is shown below. Determine the
∠S to the nearest tenth of a degree.
measure of angle θ, to the nearest tenth of
a degree.
4.88 m
29.85 m
29.85 m
Clara Ak
Cl Akulukjuk,
l kj k PPangnirtung,
it N
Nunavut,
t llearning
i tto P
Paraski.
ki
Cumulative Review, Chapters 1—2 • MHR 135

Unit 1 Test
Multiple Choice Numerical Response
For #1 to #5, choose the best answer. Complete the statements in #6 to #8.
1. Which of the following expressions could 6. A coffee shop is holding its annual
represent the general term of the sequence fundraiser to help send a local child to
8, 4, 0, . . . ? summer camp. The coffee shop plans to
A tn = 8 + (n - 1)4 donate a portion of the profit for every
cup of coffee served. At the beginning of
B tn = 8 - (n - 1)4
the day, the owner buys the first cup of
C tn = 4n + 4 coffee and donates $20 to the fundraiser.
D tn = 8(-2)n - 1 If the coffee shop regularly serves another
2. The expression for the 14th term of the 2200 cups of coffee in one day, they must
geometric sequence x, x3, x5, . . . is collect $ per cup to raise $350.
A x13 7. An angle of 315° drawn in standard
position has a reference angle of °.
B x14
8. The terminal arm of an angle, θ, in
C x 27
standard position lies in quadrant IV, and
D x 29 __
it is known that sin θ = - _ . The measure
√3
3. The sum of the series 6 + 18 + 54 + . . . to 2
n terms is 2184. How many terms are in of θ is .
the series?
A 5 Written Response
B 7 9. Jacques Chenier is one of Manitoba’s
C 8 premier children’s entertainers. Jacques
was a Juno Award Nominee for his album
D 6
Walking in the Sun. He has performed
4. Which angle has a reference angle of 55°? in over 600 school fairs and festivals
A 35° across the country. Suppose there were
B 135° 150 people in the audience for his first
performance. If this number increased by 5
C 235°
for each of the next 14 performances, what
D 255°
__ total number of people attended the first
5. Given the point P(x, √5 ) on the __
terminal 15 of Jacques Chenier’s performances?
arm of angle θ, where sin θ = _ and
√5
10. The third term in an arithmetic sequence
5
90° ≤ θ ≤ 180°, what is the exact value is 4 and the seventh term in the sequence
of cos θ? is 24.
A _
3 a) Determine the value of the common
5 difference.
B -_
3__
b) What is the value of t1?
√5
C _
2__ c) Write the general term of the sequence.
√5 d) What is the sum of the first 10 terms
__
D -_
2√5 of the sequence?
5
136 MHR • Unit 1 Test

11. A new car that is worth $35 000 14. A right triangle with a reference angle of
depreciates 20% in the first year and 10% 60° is drawn in standard position on a
every year after that. About how much coordinate grid.
will the car be worth 7 years after it is y
purchased?
12. The Multiple Sclerosis Walk is a significant
contributor to the Multiple Sclerosis
Society’s fundraising efforts to support 60°
0 x
research. One walker was sponsored
$100 plus $5 for the first kilometre, $10
for the second kilometre, $15 for the a) Apply consecutive rotations of 60°
third kilometre, and so on. How far counterclockwise to complete one 360°
would this walker need to revolution about the origin.
walk to earn $150? b) Write the sequence that represents the
measures of the angles in standard
position formed by the rotations.
c) Write the general term for the sequence.
15. A circular water sprinkler in a backyard
sprays a radius of 5 m. The sprinkler is
placed 8 m from the corner of the lot.
fence
8m
5m fence
A B D
13. Les Jeux de la Francophonie Canadienne
a) If the measure of ∠CAB is 32°, what is
are held each summer to celebrate sport,
leadership, and French culture. Badminton the measure of ∠CDA?
is one of the popular events at the games. b) What length of fence, to the nearest
There are 64 entrants in the boys’ singles tenth of a metre, would get wet from
tournament. There are two players per the sprinkler?
game, and only the winner advances to the 16. A triangle has sides that measure 61 cm,
next round. The number of players in each 38 cm, and 43 cm. Determine the measure
round models a geometric sequence. of the smallest angle in the triangle.
a) Write the first four terms of the
geometric sequence.
b) Write the general term that could
be used to determine the number of
players in any round of the tournament.
c) How many games must be played
altogether to determine the winner of
the boys’ singles tournament?
Unit 1 Test • MHR 137

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Supporting Pre-Calculus 11 Students and Teachers

• WNCP Course Structure

• Curriculum Change Overview

• Why Choose McGraw-Hill

To preview more sample material • Unit 1 Front and End Material

Apprenticeship and Foundations

Apprenticeship and Foundations 11 Pre-Calculus 11

Apprenticeship and Foundations 12 Pre-Calculus 12

McGraw-Hill Ryerson offers a unique continuum for grades 7-12

Out of 52 outcomes in total for 1996 and 2008,

This is a 75% change altogether.

New Topics Deleted Topics

Unit 3 Functions and Equations

2 MHR • Unit 1 Patterns

01PC11_Chapter01_4th_B.indd 2 5/28/10 11:51:38 AM

Unit 1 Patterns • MHR 3

01PC11_Chapter01_4th_B.indd 3 5/28/10 11:51:41 AM

1 Sequences and Series

The pattern of this logistic spiral is found in the chambered nautilus,

01PC11_Chapter01_4th_B.indd 4 5/28/10 11:51:43 AM

01PC11_Chapter01_4th_B.indd 5 5/28/10 11:51:45 AM

Investigate Arithmetic Sequences

01PC11_Chapter01_4th_B.indd 6 5/28/10 11:51:47 AM

For the third staircase number, add the number of

Part B: Three-Step Staircase Numbers

1.1 Arithmetic Sequences • MHR 7

01PC11_Chapter01_4th_B.indd 7 5/28/10 11:51:51 AM

Reflect and Respond

Link the Ideas

A finite sequence always has a finite number of terms.

01PC11_Chapter01_4th_B.indd 8 5/28/10 11:51:52 AM

The general term of an arithmetic sequence is

1.1 Arithmetic Sequences • MHR 9

01PC11_Chapter01_4th_B.indd 9 5/28/10 11:51:52 AM

b) What will the person get paid for 6 h of work?

The sequence is arithmetic with a common difference equal to 7.

b) For 6 h of work, the amount is the sixth term in the sequence.

Method 1: Use an Equation

01PC11_Chapter01_4th_B.indd 10 5/28/10 11:51:52 AM

The value of the sixth term is 47.

1.1 Arithmetic Sequences • MHR 11

01PC11_Chapter01_4th_B.indd 11 5/28/10 11:51:52 AM

01PC11_Chapter01_4th_B.indd 12 5/28/10 11:51:53 AM

c) What is the number of rows of boxes in his display?

Method 2: Use Algebra

Subtract the two equations.

1.1 Arithmetic Sequences • MHR 13

01PC11_Chapter01_4th_B.indd 13 5/28/10 11:51:53 AM

b) Use the formula for the general term of the sequence.

c) The top row of the stack contains two boxes.

b) What is the charge for 10 h of time?

01PC11_Chapter01_4th_B.indd 14 5/28/10 11:51:53 AM

Terms of the Sequence 1 2 3 4

The terms may now be generated by either

The charge for 10 h of work is $485.

1.1 Arithmetic Sequences • MHR 15

01PC11_Chapter01_4th_B.indd 15 5/28/10 11:51:53 AM

A sequence is an ordered list of elements.