Show all the stepsRobin bought a computer for $1,250. It will depreciate, or decrease in value, by 10% each year that she owns it.* Is the sequence formed by the value at the beginning of each year arithmetic, geometric, or neither? Explain.* Write an explicit formula to represent the sequence.* Find the value of the computer at the beginning of the 6th year.

Respuesta :

Given that:

- The value of the computer when Robin bought it was $1,250.

- Its value will decrease by 10% each year that she owns it.

• You can identify that the first term of the sequence is:

[tex]a_1=1250[/tex]

Knowing that it will depreciate by 10% each year, you can set up that the second term is (remember that a percent must be divided by 100 in order to write it in decimal form):

[tex]a_2=1250-(1250)(\frac{10}{100})[/tex][tex]\begin{gathered} a_2=1250-(1250)(0.1) \\ \\ a_2=1250-125 \\ \\ a_2=1125 \end{gathered}[/tex]

Notice that the third term is:

[tex]\begin{gathered} a_3=a_2-(a_2)(0.1) \\ \\ a_3=1125-(1125)(0.1) \end{gathered}[/tex][tex]a_3=1012.5[/tex]

And the fourth term:

[tex]\begin{gathered} a_4=a_3-(a_3)(0.1) \\ \\ a_4=1012.5-(1012.5)(0.1) \\ \\ a_4=911.25 \end{gathered}[/tex]

By definition, a term of a Geometric Sequence is obtained by multiplying the previous term by a constant called Common Ratio.

Therefore, you can check it this sequence is geometric as follows by identifying if there is a Common Ratio:

[tex]\begin{gathered} \frac{a_4}{a_3}=\frac{911.25}{1012.5}=0.9 \\ \\ \frac{a_3}{a_2}=\frac{1012.5}{1125}=0.9 \\ \\ \frac{a_2}{a_1}=\frac{1125}{1250}=0.9 \end{gathered}[/tex]

Notice that there is a Common Ratio:

[tex]r=0.9[/tex]

Therefore, it is a Geometric Sequence.

• By definition, the Explicit Formula of a Geometric Sequence has this form:

[tex]a_n=a_1\cdot r^{n-1}[/tex]

Where:

- The nth term is:

[tex]a_n[/tex]

- The first term is:

[tex]a_1[/tex]

- The Common Ratio is:

[tex]r[/tex]

- The term position is:

[tex]n[/tex]

In this case, you already know the value of the first term and the Common Ratio. Therefore, you can substitute them into the formula in order to represent the sequence:

[tex]a_n=(1250)(0.9)^{n-1}[/tex]

• In order to find the value of the computer at the beginning of the 6th year, you need to find the sixth term of the sequence:

[tex]a_6[/tex]

Therefore, you have to substitute this value of "n" into the Explicit Formula that represents the sequence and evaluate:

[tex]n=6[/tex]

Then, you get:

[tex]\begin{gathered} a_6=(1250)(0.9)^{(6)-1} \\ a_6=(1250)(0.9)^5 \\ a_6=738.1125 \end{gathered}[/tex]

Hence, the answers are:

• It is a Geometric Sequence because it has a Common Ratio.

,

• Explicit Formula:

[tex]a_n=(1250)(0.9)^{n-1}[/tex]

• Value of the computer at the beginning of the 6th year:

[tex]\text{ \$}738.1125[/tex]