We read your photo as:

Q5b. For his Christmas gift little Kofi was taken to a stationary store. For one pencil and two erasers he paid 14 Leones. Two pencils and three erasers cost him 24 Leones. How much does each pencil and each eraser cost.

Mathematics

ScanSolve AI Answer

Answer

0,−3,−6,…0, -3, -6, \dots

-42

Step-by-step solution

5 steps
  1. Set up equations for the given terms of the A.P.

    The formula for the nn-th term of an Arithmetic Progression (A.P.) is an=a+(n−1)da_n = a + (n-1)d, where aa is the first term and dd is the common difference.
    Given a5=−12a_5 = -12:

    a+(5−1)d=−12a + (5-1)d = -12 a+4d=−12(∗)a + 4d = -12 \quad (*)

    Given a10=−27a_{10} = -27:

    a+(10−1)d=−27a + (10-1)d = -27 a+9d=−27(∗∗)a + 9d = -27 \quad (**)
  2. Solve the system of equations to find the common difference dd.

    Subtract equation (∗)(*) from equation (∗∗)(**):

    (a+9d)−(a+4d)=−27−(−12)(a + 9d) - (a + 4d) = -27 - (-12) 5d=−27+125d = -27 + 12 5d=−155d = -15 d=−155d = \frac{-15}{5} d=−3d = -3
  3. Substitute the value of dd into equation (∗)(*) to find the first term aa.

    a+4(−3)=−12a + 4(-3) = -12 a−12=−12a - 12 = -12 a=−12+12a = -12 + 12 a=0a = 0
  4. Write the A.P.

    The first term is a=0a=0 and the common difference is d=−3d=-3.
    The A.P. is a,a+d,a+2d,…a, a+d, a+2d, \dots

    0,0+(−3),0+2(−3),…0, 0+(-3), 0+2(-3), \dots 0,−3,−6,…0, -3, -6, \dots
  5. Calculate the 15th term (a15a_{15}).

    Using the formula an=a+(n−1)da_n = a + (n-1)d:

    a15=0+(15−1)(−3)a_{15} = 0 + (15-1)(-3) a15=0+(14)(−3)a_{15} = 0 + (14)(-3) a15=−42a_{15} = -42

    The A.P. is 0,−3,−6,…\boxed{0, -3, -6, \dots} and its 15th term is −42\boxed{-42}.

Was this helpful?

Try one yourself

A new problem that tests the same skill.

Still stuck on this one?

Ask a follow-up, and the answer starts from this question.

Got a different question?Ask your own question
Handwritten step-by-step solution preview

Handwritten Step-by-Step Solution

Get this as a handwritten image on WhatsApp — like a tutor wrote it for you.

Try on WhatsApp