Quote:
Originally Posted by MAS1
Hi Lisa:
In your attempt to solve the problem using logs, your log step is incorrect.
(-1/6561) = (1/3)(-1/3)^(n - 1)
Now you have to take the logarithm of both sides which gives:
log(-1/6561) = log[(1/3)(-1/3)^(n - 1)]
NOT -1 * log 1/6561 = log 1/3 + -1(n-1)log 1/3 which is what you have.
log(-1/6561) is not equal to -1*log(1/6561)
As you probably know taking the log of a negative number is not defined, so you cannot use that method.
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Hello Mr Hui, Mas and friends,
I've had a rethink and come up with the following:-
If we ignore the negatives in all the variables to the equation as follows it seems to do the trick.
Example 1
consider Peter's GP.
1/3 - 1/9 + 1/27...
we know the common ratio is -1/3 and the first term is 1/3. Now, suppose we are given the following term from the series -1/1594323 and were asked to find
the number of the term.
term = a(r)^n-1 and solve for n (the number of the term remember!)
so in our question we have
- First term = 1/3 (+ve no problem)
- Common ratio = -1/3 (so take absolute value = 1/3 for our purposes)
- Finally the term that we are trying to find the number of -1/1594323 and again take the absolute value we get + 1/1594323.
Slot them into the eqn above and we get:-
1/1594323 = 1/3 * (1/3)^(n-1)
log 1/1594323 = log 1/3 +(n-1)log 1/3
log 1/1594323 = log 1/3 + nlog 1/3 -log 1/3
so n = (log 1/1594323 - log 1/3 + log 1/3) / log 1/3
n = log 1/1594323 / log 1/3
n = 13
so -1/1594232 is the 13th term in the series.
Example 2
Consider the following GP
-1/3, 1/9, -1/27, 1/81, -1/243, 1/729...
we can calculate the number of the term for -1/243. we know already it is the 5th term but can we find it with logs?
First term = -1/3 becomes 1/3
Common ratio = -1/3 becomes 1/3
Term to find number of = -1/243 becomes 1/243
1/243 = 1/3 * (1/3)^(n-1)
log 1/243 = log 1/3 + (n-1)log 1/3
Log 1/243 = log 1/3 + nlog 1/3 = log 1/3
log 1/243 = nlog 1/3
n = log 1/243 / log 1/3
n = 5
So -1/243 is the 5th term in the series.
Example 3
Consider the following series:-
-7/9, 7/15, -7/25, 21/125...
From the information above and the following term from the series -567/15625 determine the number of the term within the series.
Common ratio = -3/5 becomes 3/5
first term = -7/9 becomes 7/9
term we need number of -567/15625 becomes 567/15625
So we have 567/15625 = 7/9 * (3/5)^(n-1)
log 567/15625 = log 7/9 + (n-1)log 3/5
log 567/15625 = log 7/9 + nlog 3/5 - log 3/5
n = (log 567/15625 - log 7/9 + log 3/5) / log 3/5
n = 7
So -567/15625 is the seventh term in the series.
check:-
-7/9, 7/15, -7/25, 21/125, -63/625, 189/3125, -567/15625
LIsa