Recursive and Explicit Formulas Worksheet
This worksheet focuses on understanding and applying recursive and explicit formulas for sequences, suitable for Grade 12 mathematics students.
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Recursive and Explicit Formulas
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Read each question carefully and provide the requested information. Show all your work for full credit.
1. Explain the key difference between a recursive formula and an explicit formula for a sequence.
2. For the sequence 3, 7, 11, 15, ..., the common difference is .
3. A recursive formula for an arithmetic sequence requires the first term and the .
4. An explicit formula allows you to find any term directly without knowing the terms.
5. Which of the following is an explicit formula for the sequence 2, 4, 8, 16, ...?
a_n = a_(n-1) * 2
a_n = 2n
a_n = 2^n
a_n = n + 2
6. Write a recursive formula for the arithmetic sequence where a_1 = 5 and the common difference is 3.
7. Write an explicit formula for the geometric sequence where a_1 = 4 and the common ratio is 0.5.
8. The sequence defined by a_n = 2n + 1 is an arithmetic sequence.
True
False
9. A population of bacteria doubles every hour. If you start with 100 bacteria, write both a recursive and an explicit formula to model the population after 'n' hours. Then, use the explicit formula to find the population after 5 hours.