The 3rd term of an A.P is 4x - 2y and the 9th term is 10x - 8y. Find the common difference.

Assessment: JAMB UTME - Mathematics - 2000 Subject: General Mathematics

Question 1 Report

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).

Download The App On Google Playstore

Everything you need to excel in your exams

Green Bridge CBT Mobile App
Personalized AI Learning Chat Assistant
200,000+ Exam Questions Across IGCSE, JAMB, WAEC & NECO
Over 3,900 Lesson Notes
Offline Support - Learn Anytime, Anywhere
Green Bridge Timetable
Literature Summaries & Potential Questions
Track Your Performance & Progress
In-depth Explanations for Comprehensive Learning