2008 JC PROMOTION EXAMS (H2 MATHS)

Topic: AP and GP; Sigma Notation

1

AJC/Promo/5
(a)

Alice has 4800 sweets to be divided into n bags. She puts 25 sweets into the first bag.
For each subsequent bag, she puts 5 more sweets than the previous bag. She continues
to fill the bags until there are not enough sweets to fill the next bag in the same manner.
Find the number of sweets left behind.
[3]

(b)

The terms of a sequence a1 , a2 , a3 ,..... form an arithmetic progression with common

difference 2.
a

1 n
Another sequence b1 , b2 , b3 ,..... is such that bn = for n = 1, 2, 3,
e
(i) Prove that the terms of the sequence b1 , b2 , b3 ,..... form a geometric progression.

[2]

(ii) Determine, giving a reason, whether the sum to infinity of the geometric progression
exists.
[2]

ACJC/Promo/2
Express the sum of the first 2n terms of the series
2 + 3 + 4 + 6 + 8 + 9 + 16 + 12 + 32 + 15 + 64 + 18 + 128 + 21 + 256 + K ,
n

in the form

(ar + b

) , where a and b are constants to be found.

[2]

r =1

Hence, or otherwise, find the sum of the first 2n terms of the given series in terms of n.

CJC/Promo/1
n

n
(n + 1)(2n + 1) , evaluate
6
r =1
answer in terms of n.

Given

[3]

(n 3r )(r + 1) where n is a constant, leaving your

r =1

[3]

CJC/Promo/2
3 2 1
n + n 1.
2
2
Find an expression, in the simplest form, for the nth term and hence show that the series is the
sum of an arithmetic progression and a geometric progression.
[4]

The sum of first n terms of a series is S n = 4 n +

DHS/Promo/13
(a) The nth term of a progression is given by Tn = 2 n .
n

(i)

Find

2r in terms of n.

[1]

r =1

(ii)

Find the least value of n such that T2 T4 T6 ...Tn > 50000 , where n is even.

[4]

(b) A chemist is experimenting on a new type of anti-bacterial spray. In a container of 5 108

bacteria, this spray is activated every 40 min from the start of the experiment. Each spray
instantly kills 90% of the bacteria present at that time.
The number of bacteria multiplies by 2 times every 20 min from the start of the
experiment.
(You may assume that whenever the spray is activated, the bacteria multiplies first before
it gets killed.)
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(i) Calculate the number of bacteria left immediately after 40 min, i.e. immediately
after the first spray has been activated.
[2]
(ii) It is given that Bn represents the number of bacteria left immediately after 40n min.
For example, B1 = number of bacteria left immediately after 40min, B2 = number of
bacteria left immediately after 80min and so on. Show that
Bn = (5 108 )(0.4).

[2]

(iii) Find the number of bacteria left immediately after 240 min.

[2]

(iv) State, with justification, whether the spray is effective in controlling the bacterial
growth after a long period of time.
[2]

HCI/Promo/5
The first three terms of a geometric progression are (a + ln b) , ( a + ln b ) and (a + ln 3 b ) ,

1
where b > 1. Show that a = ln b . Find the common ratio and deduce that the geometric
4
progression is convergent. Given that b = e2, find the sum to infinity of the progression.

[6]

IJC/Promo/12
(i)

(ii)

A geometric series has nth term un and common ratio R, where R > 0. Given that
1
[2]
u1 = R 2 and the sum to infinity of the series is R , find the exact value of R.
2

2
Show that the first four non-zero terms in the series expansion of 1
x
1
4 12 32
powers of , where x > 2 , are 1 + + 2 + 3 .
x
x x
x
Hence find the sum to infinity of the infinite series
4 12 32
1+ + 2 + 3 +K .
5 5
5

in ascending
[2]

[1]
2

1
2
Find the coefficient of n in the expansion of 1 , giving your answer in the form
x
x
n
a ( n + b ) , where a and b are integers to be found.
[2]

(iii) Using your results from (i) and (ii), find the sum to infinity of the series with nth term
an ( n + b)
given by un +
.
[3]
5n

JJC/Promo/5(a)
An arithmetic series A has first term a and a geometric series G has first term b. The common
difference of A is four times the first term of G and the common ratio of G is twice the first
term of A.
Each term of A is added to the corresponding term of G to form the terms of a third series S.
1
Given that the first two terms of S are and 0 respectively, find the value of a.
[5]
2
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2008 JC Promo AP & GP and Sigma Notation (Page 2 of 6)

MI/PU1/2(a)
n

Given that r =
r =1

n
n
(n + 1) and r 2 = n (n + 1)(2n + 1) , without using a calculator, evaluate
2
6
r =1

100

r ( r 2) .

[3]

r =1

10 MI/PU1/11
(a) A geometric series has common ratio r, and an arithmetic series has first term a and
common difference d, where a and d are non-zero. The first three terms of the geometric
series are equal to the first, third and tenth terms respectively of the arithmetic series.
4
(i) Show that a = d .
[3]
5
1
(ii) Determine whether the geometric series is convergent or divergent if d = .
[3]
4
(b) A sheet of graph paper is marked in 1mm squares. A triangular region R is bounded by
1
the x-axis, the line 500mm and the line y =
x . Find the number of complete 1 mm
20
squares which have all their vertices either inside R or on the boundary of R.
[5]

11 MJC/Promo/6
(a)

The sum to infinity of a geometric progression is

progression is 2 . Find the common ratio.

(b)

9
and the second term of the
2
[3]

An arithmetic progression has n terms and a common difference d, where d > 0 . Prove
that the difference between the sum of the last k terms and the sum of the first k terms is
[4]
( n k ) kd .

12 NYJC/Promo/9
(a)

The sum of the first n terms of a series is given by the expression 2 2 (1 4 n ) . Show that
the series is a geometric series. Find the first term and the common ratio.
State whether the sum to infinity exists, and give a reason to your answer.
[5]

(b)

An arithmetic progression has the same first term as a geometric progression with
common ratio 2. The 5th term of the arithmetic progression is 20 less than the sum of
the first 5 terms of the geometric progression.
By letting the first term and the common difference of the arithmetic progression be a
and d respectively, show that 15a 2d =10.
The 6th term of the geometric progression is twice that of the 4th term of the arithmetic
progression. Find the first term and the common difference of the arithmetic
progression.
[5]

13 NJC/Promo/8
The fifth, tenth and twentieth terms of a convergent geometric progression, G, are
the first three consecutive terms of an arithmetic progression, A.

(i)

Determine the common ratio of G.

[3]
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2008 JC Promo AP & GP and Sigma Notation (Page 3 of 6)

Given that the first term of G is 2,

(ii)

evaluate the sum to infinity for G.

[2]

(iii)

find the sum of the first 10 odd-numbered terms in A.

[3]

14 PJC/Promo/14
(a) The second, fifth and tenth terms of an arithmetic progression are consecutive terms of a
geometric progression. The eighth term of the arithmetic progression is 6. Find the sum of
the first 12 terms of the arithmetic progression.
[5]
(b) The sum to infinity of a geometric series is 8 and the sum to infinity of a second series
formed by taking the first, third, fifth, seventh, terms (that is, T1 + T3 + T5 + T7 + .... ) of
16
the first series is
. Find the common ratio of the first series.
[4]
3

15 RJC/Promo/11
The nth term of a geometric progression is x n1 ( x + 1)n , where x 1 , x 0 .

(i)

Determine the range of values of x for which S, the sum to infinity exists.

(ii)

1
Given x = , find
5

[3]

(a)

the exact value of S,

[2]

(b)

the least value of n for which Sn S is less than 106 , where Sn is the sum of the
first n terms of the progression.
[2]

16 RJC/Promo/15
A sequence of real numbers v1 , v 2 , v3 ,... is defined by the following equation
vn =

(i)
(ii)

1 n
(1) r +1 r 2 , n 1.
n r =1

Calculate the values of vn for n = 1 , 2, 3 and 4.

[2]
Conjecture a formula for v n in terms of n and prove your conjecture by mathematical
induction.
[5]

17 SAJC/Promo/4
A geometric series has first term 5 and common ratio 5x.
(i) Find the set of values of x for which the sum to infinity of the geometric series exists. [3]
(ii) Find the smallest n such that the sum of the first n terms exceeds 98% of the sum to
infinity when x = 0.1.
[4]

18 SRJC/Promo/11
1 n
The sum of the first n terms of a series is given by S n = 7 1 .
2

(i)

Show that the terms in the series follow a geometric progression.

(ii)

Find the least value of n such that the sum of the first n terms of the series is less than

69
.
10

[4]

[3]
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2008 JC Promo AP & GP and Sigma Notation (Page 4 of 6)

19 TPJC/Promo/10
(a) A circular disc of radius r is cut into 15 sectors. The areas of the sectors form an
arithmetic progression. The area of the largest sector is three times the area of the smallest
sector. Find, in terms of , the angle of the smallest sector.
[5]
(b) A geometric progression has non-zero first term and common ration r, where r > 0 and
r 1. The sum of the first 20 terms is three times the sum of the first 10 terms. Show that
u2 3u + 2 = 0, where u = r10.
Hence find the value of r. Does the sum to infinity exist? Give your reason.
[6]

20 TJC/Promo/2
n

Given that

r =1

1
= n(n + 1)(2n + 1) , evaluate
6

20

3 r

+ 2r 1 without using a graphic

r =1

calculator.

[4]

21 TJC/Promo/7
Due to environmental pollution, the amount of edible fish that is captured each year from a
river shows a decrease of 2% on the previous years yield. Initially, there was an annual
yield of 5000 tons of edible fish.

(i)

By setting up an appropriate inequality, find the minimum number of years it will take
for the annual yield to drop below 700 tons.
[3]

(ii)

Calculate the total possible yield up to the time when the amount of edible fish
becomes negligible.
[2]

When the annual yield has dropped to 200 tons, a special treatment program is carried out to
control pollution, resulting in an annual increase in yield of x tons of edible fish. Find the
value of x such that total yield for 15 years (including the first year of treatment) is 5100 tons.
[2]

22 VJC/Promo/5
The sum to n terms of a sequence is given by Sn = 251 (9n n2 ). Given that the first 2 terms
of this sequence are also the first 2 terms of a geometric progression, find the value of the
common ratio of the geometric progression.

[2]

Find the largest term of the geometric progression that is less than 50.

[4]

23 YJC/Promo/1
n

Using the result

r2 =
r =1

1
n(n + 1)(2n + 1) or otherwise, show that
6

(3r

3r + 1) = n 3 .

[3]

r =1

2n

Hence, find in terms of n,

(3r

3r + 1) .

[2]

r = n +1

24 YJC/Promo/6
(a) The sum of the first 10 terms of an arithmetic progression is 25 and the 19th term is also
25. Find the sum of the first 40 terms.
[4]
(b) The sum of the first 6 terms of a geometric progression is 7 and the sum of the next 6
terms is 448. Find the common ratio of the progression.
[4]
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2008 JC Promo AP & GP and Sigma Notation (Page 5 of 6)

2008 H2 Maths Promo Exams Answers to AP and GP; Sigma Notation

S/No

College/Qn No.

Answers

AJC / Q5

ACJC / Q2

CJC / Q1

CJC / Q2

DHS / Q13

HCI / Q5

r=

IJC / Q12

(i) R= 1/3 ; (ii) 2n(n + 1) ; (iii)

JJC /Q5a

a = -1

MI /Q2a

328 000

10

MI / Q11

(a)(ii) Divergent ; (b) 6000

11

MJC / Q6

(a) r =

12

NYJC / Q9

(a) 3,

13

NJC / Q8

1
, yes ; (b) d = 10, a = 2
4
(i) r = 0.908 ; (ii) 21.8 ; (iii) 33.2

14

PJC / Q14

(a)

15

RJC /Q11

(i) 1.62 < x < 0.618, x 1, 0 ; (ii)

16

RJC / Q15

17

SAJC / Q4

3
5
(i) 1, , 2,
; (ii) (1)n+1
2
2
(i) { x : x , x < 0} (ii) n = 25

18

SRJC / Q11

least n = 7

19

TPJC / Q10

20

TJC / Q2

(a) /15 ; (b) S does not exist since r = 210 > 1.

1045765

21

TJC / Q7

(i) 99 ; (ii) 250000 tons , x = 20

22

VJC / Q5

23

YJC / Q1

7n3

24

YJC / Q6

(a) 1100

(a) 120 ; (b) (ii) Since common ratio =

1
1
and 2 < 1 S exists .
2
e
e

3
a = 3, b = 2 ; 2(2n 1) + n(n + 1)
2
n
n 2 (n + 1)(n + 4 )
2
3
Tn = 4 n + 3n 1
4
(a)(i) n(n + 1) ; (ii) 8 ; (b)(i) 2 108 ; (iii) 2048000 ; (iv) Yes

1
1
9
. Since r = < 1 , the G.P. is convergent; S =
3
3
4
35
18

1
3

432
1
; (b) r =
7
2
30
; (iii) 11
19
n +1
2

r=

3
; n > 13.8 ; T14
4
(b) 2

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2008 JC Promo AP & GP and Sigma Notation (Page 6 of 6)