High School

The pattern of numbers below is an arithmetic sequence:

[tex]\[ 14, 24, 34, 44, 54, \ldots \][/tex]

Which statement describes the recursive function used to generate the sequence?

A. The common difference is 1, so the function is [tex]f(n+1) = f(n) + 1[/tex] where [tex]f(1)[/tex]

B. The common difference is 4, so the function is [tex]f(n+1) = f(n) + 4[/tex] where [tex]f(1)[/tex]

C. The common difference is 10, so the function is [tex]f(n+1) = f(n) + 10[/tex] where [tex]f(1)[/tex]

D. The common difference is 14, so the function is [tex]f(n+1) = f(n) + 14[/tex] where [tex]f(1)[/tex]

Answer :

To solve this problem, we need to determine the common difference in the arithmetic sequence and use it to find the recursive function that generates the sequence. An arithmetic sequence is a sequence of numbers in which the difference between any two consecutive terms is the same. This difference is called the common difference.

Let's examine the given sequence: [tex]\(14, 24, 34, 44, 54, \ldots\)[/tex]

1. Identify the Pattern:
- First, we calculate the difference between the first and second terms: [tex]\(24 - 14 = 10\)[/tex].
- Next, calculate the difference between the second and third terms: [tex]\(34 - 24 = 10\)[/tex].
- Similarly, the difference between the third and fourth terms is: [tex]\(44 - 34 = 10\)[/tex], and between the fourth and fifth terms is: [tex]\(54 - 44 = 10\)[/tex].

2. Verify the Common Difference:
- From the calculations above, it's clear that the common difference is consistent and equal to 10.

3. Formulate the Recursive Function:
- In a recursive function for an arithmetic sequence, each term can be generated by adding the common difference to the previous term.
- Therefore, the recursive function describing this sequence is:
[tex]\[
f(n+1) = f(n) + 10
\][/tex]
- Additionally, the first term of the sequence is 14, so we can write:
[tex]\[
f(1) = 14
\][/tex]

4. Conclusion:
- The correct statement that describes the recursive function used to generate the sequence is:
[tex]\[
\text{The common difference is 10, so the function is } f(n+1) = f(n) + 10 \text{ where } f(1) = 14.
\][/tex]

This step-by-step approach shows how to identify the common difference and how it leads to the formulation of the recursive function for the sequence.