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Free Printable nth term of a linear sequence PDF Worksheets, Revision Guide & GCSE Past Paper Questions (Grade 4)

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GCSE Maths Grade 4 Revision Notes & Method

Guide to nth term of a linear sequence: Explanation, Diagrams & Worked Examples

Download Printable One Page Guide (PDF)

Explanation:

To find the nth term of a linear (arithmetic) sequence, use the "DINO" method: find the common Difference d between terms and write dn, then find the 0th term (work backwards one step before the first term) and write it on the end.

To test whether a number is a term in the sequence, set the nth term equal to that number and solve for n. If n is a positive whole number (integer), then the number is in the sequence; if n is a fraction or decimal, it is not.

Example 1: Find the nth term and the 50th term of the sequence: 7, 11, 15, 19, 23, …

Solution:

Common difference = +4 → starts with 4n
0th term (before 7) = 7 − 4 = +3
nth term = 4n + 3
50th term (n = 50): 4(50) + 3 = 203
Answer: 4n + 3; 50th term = 203

Example 2: A sequence has nth term 6n − 5. Is 148 a term in this sequence? You must show your working.

Solution:

Set 6n − 5 = 148
6n = 153 → n = 153 ÷ 6 = 25.5
Since 25.5 is not a whole number (integer),
Answer: No, 148 is not in the sequence.
Scanned GCSE Exam Questions & Worked Solutions

GCSE Past Paper nth term of a linear sequence Questions & Answers

Past Paper Example 1 OCR Nov 2024 2F Q8 4 marks
(a) (i) A sequence is generated using the rule:
\textsf{multiply the previous term by } 3\textsf{, then subtract } 1.
The **2nd** term of the sequence is 20.
Find the **3rd** term of the sequence.
(ii) Find the **1st** term of the sequence.
(b) Here are the first four terms of a different sequence.
5   10   15   20
Find the nth term of the sequence.
(a) A sequence is generated using the rule:
\textsf{multiply the previous term by } 3\textsf{, then subtract } 1.
The **2nd** term of the sequence is 20.
Find the **3rd** term of the sequence.
[1 mark]
Find the **1st** term of the sequence. [2 marks]
(b) Here are the first four terms of a different sequence.
5   10   15   20
Find the nth term of the sequence.
[1 mark]
Worked Solution & Mark Scheme (4 marks)
Part (a) Solution:
20 × 3 − 1 = 59. B1
Answer (a): 59
Part Solution:
(20 + 1) ÷ 3 = 21 ÷ 3 = 7. M1 A1
Answer : 7
Part (b) Solution:
Multiples of 5 ⇒ nth term is 5n. B1
Answer (b): 5n n
Past Paper Example 2 IGCSE Jan 2019 1FR Q9 5 marks
Here is a sequence of patterns made from white counters and black counters.
Patternnumber 1Patternnumber 2Patternnumber 3
(a) In the space below, complete Pattern number 4 [1 mark]
(b) Find the total number of counters in Pattern number 6 [1 mark]
(c) Work out the number of black counters in Pattern number 14 [1 mark]
(d) Work out the total number of counters in Pattern number 50 [2 marks]
Worked Solution & Mark Scheme (5 marks)
Part (a) Solution:
Pattern 4 drawn with 9 counters
Answer (a): Pattern 4 drawn with 9 counters
Part (b) Solution:
13
Answer (b): 13
Part (c) Solution:
15
Answer (c): 15
Part (d) Solution:
Pattern n has 2n + 1 counters M1
2 × 50 + 1 = 101 A1
Answer (d): 101
Past Paper Example 3 AQA Jun 2025 3F Q1 3 marks
Here are the first three patterns in a sequence.
Pattern 1Pattern 2Pattern 3
(a) Draw Pattern 4 on the grid. [1 mark]
(b) How many squares in Pattern 6 would have a cross (X) in them? [2 marks]
Worked Solution & Mark Scheme (3 marks)
Part (a) Solution:
Number of crosses follows the sequence: 5, 6, 7, 8, ..
Pattern 4 has 8 crosses (6 on top row, 2 on bottom row corners) B1
Answer (a): Pattern 4 drawn: top row of 6 crosses, bottom row with cross at left, cross at right, 4 shaded squares in between (total 8 crosses).
Part (b) Solution:
Pattern 1: 5 crosses, Pattern 2: 6 crosses, Pattern 3: 7 crosses, Pattern n: n + 4 crosses M1
For Pattern 6: 6 + 4 = 10 crosses A1
Answer (b): Answer 10

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