Question 17 Exercise 4.2
Solutions of Question 17 of Exercise 4.2 of Unit 04: Sequence and Series. This is unit of A Textbook of Mathematics for Grade XI is published by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Textbook Board (KPTB or KPTBB) Peshawar, Pakistan.
Question 17
There are $n$ arithmetic means between 5 and 32 such that the ratio of the 3rd and 7th means is $7: 13$, find the value of $n$.
Solution
Let $A_1, A_2, A_3, \ldots, A_n$ be $n$ arithmetic means between 5 and 32.
Then $5, A_1, A_2, A_3, \ldots, A_n, 32$ are in A.P, where
$$a_1=5 \text{ and } a_{n+2}=32.$$
We know $a_n=a_1+(n-1) d$, replacing $n$ by $n+2$, we get
\begin{align}a_{n+2}&=a_1+(n+2-1) d \\
& =a_1+(n+1) d \\
\implies 32&=5+(n+1)d \\
\implies (n+1)d&=32-5\\
\implies n+1&=\dfrac{27}{d}\\
\implies n&=\dfrac{27}{d}-1 ---(i)\end{align}
Also, we have given $A_3:A_7=7:13$, where
$$A_3=a_4=a_1+3d=5+3d$$ and
$$A_7=a_8=a_1+7d=5+7d.$$
Thus we have
\begin{align}&\dfrac{A_3}{A_7}=\dfrac{7}{13} \\
\implies &\dfrac{5+3d}{5+7 d}=\dfrac{7}{13} \\
\implies &13(5+3d)=7(5+7d) \\
\implies &65+39d=35+49d\\
\implies &39d-49d=35-65 \\
\implies &-10d=-30 \\
\implies &d=3.\end{align}
Putting value of $d$ in (i), we get
\begin{align}&n=\dfrac{27}{3}-1\\
\implies &n=8.\end{align}
Go To