what is the answer to 3 9 27 81 243
What is the answer to 3 9 27 81 243?
Answer:
To understand the sequence of numbers presented—3, 9, 27, 81, 243—it’s important to recognize the pattern they follow. This sequence is an example of a geometric progression, where each term after the first is found by multiplying the previous term by a constant factor.
Step 1: Identify the Pattern
- Sequence: 3, 9, 27, 81, 243
- Constant Ratio: To find the ratio, divide any term by the previous term. For example:
- 9 \div 3 = 3
- 27 \div 9 = 3
- 81 \div 27 = 3
- 243 \div 81 = 3
The constant ratio between successive terms is 3.
Step 2: Understand the Geometric Progression
A geometric sequence or progression is one where each term is the product of the previous term and a fixed non-zero number called the common ratio. Here, the common ratio is 3.
- First Term (a): The first term of the sequence is 3.
- Common Ratio (r): The common ratio is also 3.
The general formula for the n^{th} term (T_n) of a geometric sequence is:
Where:
- a is the first term
- r is the common ratio
- n is the term number
Step 3: Calculation
To find the n^{th} term for any specified term, you can apply the formula.
For the next term in the sequence (after 243), it would be:
-
Current term (5th term): 243
-
Next term (T_6):
T_6 = 243 \cdot 3 = 729
Final Answer:
The sequence 3, 9, 27, 81, 243 is a geometric progression with a common ratio of 3. The next term in the sequence is 729.