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Algebra Difficulty 2.8 Junior Find the answer

The second and fourth terms of a geometric sequence are 22 and 66. Which of the following is a possible first term?

Pick one

Solution

Let the first term be aa and the common ratio be rr. Therefore,
ar=2  (1)andar3=6  (2)ar=2\ \ (1) \qquad \text{and} \qquad ar^3=6\ \ (2)
Dividing (2)(2) by (1)(1) eliminates the aa, yielding r2=3r^2=3, so r=±3r=\pm\sqrt{3}.
Now, since ar=2ar=2, a=2ra=\frac{2}{r}, so a=2±3=±233a=\frac{2}{\pm\sqrt{3}}=\pm\frac{2\sqrt{3}}{3}.
We therefore see that (B) 233\boxed{\textbf{(B)}\ -\frac{2\sqrt{3}}{3}} is a possible first term.

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Source: NuminaMath-1.5, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.