GEOMETRIC PROGRESSION

2.1 CONCEPT MAP

PROGRESSION

ARITHMETIC
PROGRESSION

GEOMETRIC
PROGRESSION

THE n th TERM

Tn

Tn = arn-1
.a = first term
.r = Common ratio
.n = number of terms

SUM OF THE FIRST n TERMS

Sn =

a ( r n 1)
,
r 1

r >1

Sn =

a (1 r n )
,
1 r

r <1

OR

SUM OF INFINITY
Sn =

a
1 r

, -1 < r < 1

THE r th TERM
T r = S r - S r 1

Tr

( Geometric Progression)
GEOMETRIC PROGRESSION

The sum of the first n term:

Sn = ______________

The nth term :

Tn = ___________

or
Sn = ______________

or
Tn = ___________
a = _______________
r = _______________
l = _______________
n = _______________

2.2 Identify characteristics of geometric progression:

Complete each of the sequence below when give a (fist term ) and r (common ratio) .
a
Example:
a)
-3

the first four terms of geometric progression,

2

b)

-2

c)

1
2

1
3

d)

1
y
3

4
y
3

-3, (-3)(2)1 = - 6, (-3)(2)2 = -12, (-3)(2)3 = -24

2.3
Determine whether a given sequence is an geometric progression
Example :
r = common ratio
a) -8, 4, -2,
b) a5, a4 b, a3 b2

c)

1
1
1
,
,
,.
4 12 36

r=

4
1
2
1
=
,
=
8 2
4
2

(true)

2.3.2 Given that the first three terms of a geometric progression are below.
Find the value of x
Geometric progression
Value x
x

4
2
x

2
Example :
=
a) .x, x + 4, 2x + 2,
x
x4
2
(x + 4) = x(2x + 2)
.x2 + 8x + 16 = 2x2 + 2x
0 = x2 6x 19
0 = (x 8)(x + 2)
.x 8 = 0 @ x + 2 = 0
Hence x = 8 @ x = -2
b) x 6, x, 2x + 16

2.4

Determine by using formula:

Tn = arn-1
2.4.1

specific terms in arithmetic progressions

1. Find the 7 th term of the geometric

progression.
- 8, 4 , -2 , ..
Solution:
a=-8
T7 = (-8)(
=

1
8

r=

2. Find the 8 th term of the geometric

progression.
16, -8, 4,

4
1
=
8 2

1 7-1
)
2

3. For the geometric progression

4 2
,
, 1 , .. ,find the 9 th term .
9 3

4. Find the 3 th term of the geometric

progression
50, 40, 32.

5. Find the 10 th term of geometric

progression a5, a4 b, a3 b2

6. Given that geometric progression

5.6, 1.4, 0.35,
Find the 10th term.

2.4.2

Find the number of terms of the arithmetic progression

1
b) 2, -4, 8, 512
a) 64, - 32, 16,.8
1
1
Tn = a = 64, r = 8
2
1
1 n 1

64
=2
8

1
1

n 1
1

=
2
64 8
1 n 1 1 6 1

=
2
2
2
1 n 1 1 9

=
2
2

.n - 1 = 9
.n = 10
c) 405, - 135, 45, -

2.5

Find

5
27

d)

4
2
81
,
, 1..
,
9
3
16

a) The sum of the first n terms of geometric progressions

b) The sum of a specific number of consecutive terms of geometric progressions
c) The value of n , given the sum of the first n terms of geometric progressions.

2.5.1 Find the sum of the first n terms of geometric progressions

geometric progressions
Find the sum of the first n term
Example :
.a) 2, - 4, 8,
.a = 2

r=

4
= -2
2

b) 5, 10, 20..

c) 12, -6, 3

d)

1
2
4
x,
x,
x,.
3
9
27

2.5.2

S7

2(1 ( 2) 7 )
= 86
1 ( 2)

S8

S9

S6

The sum of a specific number of consecutive terms of geometric progressions

geometric progressions
a) 4, 2, 1,
.a = 4

1
64

1
2
r=
=
4
2

Find the sum of the first n term

Tn

1
64
1 n 1 1

=
2
64
1 n 1 1 1

=
2
4 64
1 n 1 1 2 1

=
2
2 2

.n 1 = 8
.n = 9
S9

= 7 63
64

1, 3, 9,. 2187.

c) 24, 12, 6, .

2.5.3

4 1 1 / 2
=
1 1 / 2

3
4

The value of n , given the sum of the first n terms of geometric

progressions.

a) The first and 4th tems of a geometric progression are

1
27
and
.
2
128

Find the value of r

Solution :
T4 =

27
128

1 3
27
(r ) =
2
128
2

1

(r 3 ) =

27
128

(r 3 ) =

27
3
, Hence r =
64
4

b) The first and 6th tems of a geometric progression are 2

1
1
and 607 .
2
2

Find the value of r

c) The common ratio and 5th tems of a geometric progression are

2
22
and 7 .
3
27

Find the value of a

2.4

Find :
a) the sum to infinity of geometric progressions
b) the first term or r, given the sum to infinity of geometric progressions.

a
S
1 r

S sum to infinity
a = first term
r = common ratio

1.

24, 3.6, 0.54, .

2.

81, -27,9, ..

Find the sum to infinity of a given

geomertric progression below:
2 2
6, 2, , ,.......
3 9
a=6
2
1
r

6
3
a
S
1 r
6
=
1
1- -
3
9
=
2

3.

1 1 1
, , ,....... ..
2 4 8

EXTRA EXERCISE :
1. The sum to infinity of a geometric
progression is 200. Given that the
first
term is 52. Find the common ratio.

2. Given that the common ratio of

1
geometric progression is
. The sum
25
of the first n terms,where n is large
enough such that r n 0 is 75. Find
the first term.

Example:
The sum to infinity of a geometric
progression is 8. Given that the first

3. The sum to infinity of a geometric

progression is 600 and the common
ratio is 0.4 . Find

term is 2. Find
a) the common ratio
b) the third term

a) the first term

b) the minimum number of
terms such that the sum of
terms to be more then 599.

Solution:
a)
S 8
a
8
1 r
2
8
1 r
3
r=
4
b)
Tn ar n 1
3
=2
4
9
=
8

31

4. Express each of the recurring decimal below as a fraction in its simplest form.
0.3
0.3= 0.3 + 0.03 + 0.003 + ..
0.3

1 0.1
0.3

0.9
1

3
a) 0.444.

4.020202
4.020202... 4 0.02 0.0002 0.000002 ...
0.02
=4+
1-0.01
0.02
=4+
0.99
2
=4
99
c) 1.121212..

SPM QUESTIONS:
1. 2003 (Paper 1: No.8)
In a geometric progression, the first term is 64 and the fourth term is 27. Calculate

(a) the common ratio

(b) the sum to infinity of the geometric progression.

2. 2004 (Paper 1: No.9)

4
Given a geometric progression y , 2, , p,..... ,express p in terms of y.
y

3. 2004 (Paper 1: No.12 )

Express the recurring decimal 0.969696as a fraction in its simplest form.
[4 marks]

4.

2005 (Paper 1 : No.10)

The first three terms of a sequence are 2 , x , 8
Find the positive value of x so that the sequence is
(a) an arithmetic progression
(b) a geometric progression

[4 marks]

5. 2004 (Paper2: Section A: No.6)

Diagram 2 shows the arrangement of the first three of an infinite series of similar

triangles. The first triangle has a base of x cm and a height of y cm. The
measurements of the base and height of each subsequent triangle are half of
the measurements of its previous one.

y cm

xcm

Diagram 2
(a) Show that the areas of the triangles form a geometric progression and state
the common ratio.
[3 marks]
(b) Given that x= 80 cm and y= 40 cm,
1
2
(i) determine which triangle has an area of 6 cm ,
4
2
(ii) find the sum to infinity of the areas, in cm , of the triangles. [5 marks]

6. 2005 (Paper 1: No. 12)

The sum of the first n terms of the geometric progression 8,24,72,.is 8744.
Find
(a) the common ratio of the progression
(b) the value of n
[4 marks]
ASSESSMENT:

1.

The first three terms of a geometric progression are 2x + 3, x and x 2

with a common ratio r , where -1 < r < 1. Find
(a) the value of x
(b) the sum of the first n terms ,where n is large enough such
that r n 0

2.

In the progression 5 , 10 , 20 , 40 , . Find the least number of

terms required such that their sum exceeds 1000.

3.

The third term and the sixth term of a geometric progression are
27 and 8 respectively. Find the second term.

4.

In a geometric progression, the sum of the first five terms is

Given that the common ratio is

31
.
8

1
. Find
2

(a) the first term

(b) the sum of all the terms from the fourth to the sixth term.

5.

The third term of a geometric progression exceeds the second term

by 6 while the fourth term exceeds the third term by 2. Find the
sum of the first 5 terms.

ANSWERS:
EXERCISE 1:
b) 3, 6, -12, 24
b) 4, 12, 36, 108
c) -6, 12, 124, 48
1 1 1 1
d)
, , ,
2 6 18 54
y 4 y 2 16 y 3 64 y 4
e)
,
,
,
3
9
27
81
EXERCISE 3:
a) x = -4
b) x = 3
c) x = -12 @ x = 8

EXERCISE 2:
a) true
b) false
c) true
d) false
e) true
f) true
g) false
h) true
EXERCISE 4:
1
1. T 7 = 8
1
2. T 8 = 2
26344
3. T 9 =
2304
4. T 3 = 32
b9
a4
6. T 10 = 0.000021
EXERCISE 6:
b) 275
1
c) 8
64
665
d)
729
EXERCISE 8:
5. T 10 =

EXERCISE 5:
b) n = 9
c) n = 8
d) n = 7

EXERCISE 7:

c) n = 8, S 8 = 3280
d) n = 9, S 9 = -1022
1
e) n = 6, S 6 = 47
4
EXERCISE 9:
1. 28.24
3
2. 60
4
3. 1

b) r = 3
c) a = 3

EXERCISE 10:
2.
3.
4.

5.

EXERCISE 11:
13 days

ASSESSMENT:
27
1. a) x=3 b)
2
2. 8
3. 40

1
2
b)

4. a) -2
5. 40

1
3

7
16

r=0.74
a=72
a) 360 b) 7
4
a)
9
23
b)
99
4
c) 1
33
7
d) 5
99

SPM QUESTION:
3
1. a) r
b) S 256
4
8
2. p 2
y
32
3.
33
1
4. a) r
4
1
b)i. n=5 ii. 2133
3
5. a) x=5 b) x=4
6. a) r=3 b) n=7