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algebra intermediate

Problem

The first four terms in an arithmetic sequence are , , , and , in that order. What is the fifth term?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
Solution
The difference between consecutive terms is Therefore we can also express the third and fourth terms as and Then we can set them equal to and because they are the same thing. Substitute into our other equation. But cannot be because then the first term would be and the second term while the last two terms would be equal to Therefore Substituting the value for into any of the equations, we get Finally,
Final answer
E