The 3rd term of an A.P is 4x - 2y and the 9th term is 10x - 8y. Find the common difference.
Answer Details
In an Arithmetic Progression (A.P), the difference between any two adjacent terms is constant.
Let d be the common difference of the A.P, then:
- The 3rd term is the first term plus two common differences, i.e. a + 2d = 4x - 2y
- The 9th term is the first term plus eight common differences, i.e. a + 8d = 10x - 8y
We can now solve for d by subtracting the first equation from the second:
a + 8d - (a + 2d) = 10x - 8y - (4x - 2y)
6d = 6x - 6y
d = (x - y)
Therefore, the common difference is x - y, which is option (C).