Explain how to find the general term of an arithmetic sequence.

To find the general term of an arithmetic sequence, use the formula an = a1 + (n-1)d.

An arithmetic sequence is a sequence of numbers where each term is obtained by adding a fixed number (called the common difference) to the previous term. For example, 2, 5, 8, 11, 14 is an arithmetic sequence with a common difference of 3.

To find the general term (an) of an arithmetic sequence, you need to know the first term (a1) and the common difference (d). Once you have these values, you can use the formula an = a1 + (n-1)d, where n is the term number you want to find.

For example, let's say you want to find the 10th term of the arithmetic sequence 2, 5, 8, 11, 14. The first term (a1) is 2 and the common difference (d) is 3. Using the formula, we get:

a10 = a1 + (10-1)d
a10 = 2 + 9(3)
a10 = 2 + 27
a10 = 29

Therefore, the 10th term of the sequence is 29.

It's important to note that the formula an = a1 + (n-1)d only works for arithmetic sequences. If you're dealing with a different type of sequence (such as a geometric sequence), you'll need to use a different formula.