GMAT Question of the Day - Daily to your Mailbox; hard ones only

 It is currently 21 Feb 2019, 17:04

### GMAT Club Daily Prep

#### Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

## Events & Promotions

###### Events & Promotions in February
PrevNext
SuMoTuWeThFrSa
272829303112
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
242526272812
Open Detailed Calendar

February 21, 2019

February 21, 2019

10:00 PM PST

11:00 PM PST

Kick off your 2019 GMAT prep with a free 7-day boot camp that includes free online lessons, webinars, and a full GMAT course access. Limited for the first 99 registrants! Feb. 21st until the 27th.
• ### Free GMAT RC Webinar

February 23, 2019

February 23, 2019

07:00 AM PST

09:00 AM PST

Learn reading strategies that can help even non-voracious reader to master GMAT RC. Saturday, February 23rd at 7 AM PT

# In a sequence 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, ... each term after the first is twi

Author Message
TAGS:

### Hide Tags

Manager
Joined: 28 Aug 2010
Posts: 172
In a sequence 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, ... each term after the first is twi  [#permalink]

### Show Tags

15 Dec 2010, 11:08
1
7
00:00

Difficulty:

35% (medium)

Question Stats:

71% (01:39) correct 29% (01:40) wrong based on 299 sessions

### HideShow timer Statistics

In a sequence 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, ... each term after the first is twice the previous term. What is the sum of the 16th, 17th and 18th terms in the sequence ?

A. 2^18
B. 3(2^17)
C. 7(2^16)
D. 3(2^16)
E. 7(2^15)

Could some tell me the basic formula for handling geometric series. Thanks.
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Posts: 53063
Re: In a sequence 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, ... each term after the first is twi  [#permalink]

### Show Tags

15 Dec 2010, 11:30
1
2
ajit257 wrote:
In a sequence 1,2,4,8,16,32......each term after the first is twice the previous term. What is the sum of the 16th, 17th and 18th tems in the sequence ?

a. 2^18
b. 3(2^17)
c. 7(2^16)
d. 3(2^16)
e. 7(2^15)

Could some tell me the basic formula for handling geometric series. Thanks.

Given:
$$a_1=2^0=1$$;
$$a_2=2^1=2$$;
$$a_3=2^2=4$$;
...
$$a_n=2^{n-1}$$;

Thus $$a_{16}+a_{17}+a_{18}=2^{15}+2^{16}+2^{17}=2^{15}(1+2+4)=7*2^{15}$$.

So you don't actually need geometric series formula.

But still if you are interested:

Sum of the first $$n$$ terms of geometric progression is given by: $$sum=\frac{b*(r^{n}-1)}{r-1}$$, where $$b$$ is the first term, $$n$$ # of terms and $$r$$ is a common ratio $$\neq{1}$$.

Sum of infinite geometric progression with common ratio $$|r|<1$$, is $$sum=\frac{b}{1-r}$$, where $$b$$ is the first term.

Hope it helps.
_________________
Director
Joined: 03 Sep 2006
Posts: 778
Re: In a sequence 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, ... each term after the first is twi  [#permalink]

### Show Tags

15 Dec 2010, 20:21
Given:
$$a_1=2^0=1$$;
$$a_2=2^1=2$$;
$$a_3=2^2=4$$;
...
$$a_n=2^{n-1}$$;

Thus $$a_{16}+a_{17}+a_{18}=2^{15}+2^{16}+2^{17}=2^{15}(1+2+4)=7*2^{15}$$.

So you don't actually need geometric series formula.

Thanks very Much! This is an excellent approach.
Manager
Joined: 21 Oct 2013
Posts: 185
Location: Germany
GMAT 1: 660 Q45 V36
GPA: 3.51
Re: In a sequence 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, ... each term after the first is twi  [#permalink]

### Show Tags

18 Jun 2014, 03:23
16th term = 2^15 (since 2^0 = 1). Hence we need 2^15+2^16+2^17.

Now take smaller numbers: 2²+2³+2^4 = 28 = 7*(2²) (which is the first term), hence 7*(2^15) will be right. E.
Intern
Joined: 20 May 2014
Posts: 32
Re: In a sequence 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, ... each term after the first is twi  [#permalink]

### Show Tags

02 Jul 2014, 17:54
I don't understand where the 2^16 and 2^17 go. and why is a16 + a17 + a18 = 2^15 + 2^16 + 2^17

Note : Sorry I can't do the subscripts for the a's
Veritas Prep GMAT Instructor
Joined: 16 Oct 2010
Posts: 8891
Location: Pune, India
Re: In a sequence 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, ... each term after the first is twi  [#permalink]

### Show Tags

02 Jul 2014, 21:49
3
sagnik2422 wrote:
I don't understand where the 2^16 and 2^17 go. and why is a16 + a17 + a18 = 2^15 + 2^16 + 2^17

Note : Sorry I can't do the subscripts for the a's

1st term: $$1 = 2^0$$
2nd term: $$2^1$$
3rd term: $$2^2$$
4th term: $$2^3$$
5th term: $$2^4$$

So looking at the pattern, what will be the 16th term? It will be $$2^{15}$$
What about the 17th term? $$2^{16}$$
What about the 18th term? $$2^{17}$$

When you add them, you get $$2^{15} + 2^{16} + 2^{17}$$
Now you take $$2^{15}$$ common from the 3 terms. You are left with

$$2^{15}* (1 + 2 + 2^2) = 2^{15}*7$$

Note that $$2^{16}$$ has 16 2s. When you take out 15 2s, you are left with a single 2. Similarly, $$2^{17}$$ has 17 2s. When you take out 15 2s, you are left with two 2s i.e. $$2^2$$
_________________

Karishma
Veritas Prep GMAT Instructor

Intern
Joined: 22 Jul 2016
Posts: 23
Re: In a sequence 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, ... each term after the first is twi  [#permalink]

### Show Tags

03 Jan 2017, 10:11
ajit257 wrote:
In a sequence 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, ... each term after the first is twice the previous term. What is the sum of the 16th, 17th and 18th terms in the sequence ?

A. 2^18
B. 3(2^17)
C. 7(2^16)
D. 3(2^16)
E. 7(2^15)

Could some tell me the basic formula for handling geometric series. Thanks.

Pattern :
1st term, --------------------------------------, 6th term ,...
can be written as :
1 ,(2) ,(2*2),(2*2*2),(2*2*2*2) , (2*2*2*2*2),...

which again can be written as :
1 , 2^1, 2^2 , 2^3 , 2^4 , 2^5 ,...

Therefore ,
16th term : 2^15 ---(1)
17th term : 2^16 ---(2)
18th term : 2^17 ---(3)

2^15 + 2^16 + 2^17 = 2^15(1+ 2^1 + 2^2) = 2^15 ( 1+2+4) = 2^15 (7)

Ans : E
CEO
Joined: 11 Sep 2015
Posts: 3446
Re: In a sequence 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, ... each term after the first is twi  [#permalink]

### Show Tags

15 Dec 2017, 08:07
2
Top Contributor
1
ajit257 wrote:
In a sequence 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, ... each term after the first is twice the previous term. What is the sum of the 16th, 17th and 18th terms in the sequence ?

A. 2^18
B. 3(2^17)
C. 7(2^16)
D. 3(2^16)
E. 7(2^15)

Could some tell me the basic formula for handling geometric series. Thanks.

First notice the PATTERN:
term_1 = 1 (aka 2^0)
term_2 = 2 (aka 2^1)
term_3 = 4 (aka 2^2)
term_4 = 8 (aka 2^3)
term_5 = 16 (aka 2^4)
.
.
.
Notice that the exponent is 1 LESS THAN the term number.

So, term_16 = 2^15
term_17 = 2^16
term_18 = 2^17

We want to find the sum 2^15 + 2^16 + 2^17
We can do some factoring: 2^15 + 2^16 + 2^17 = 2^15(1 + 2^1 + 2^2)
= 2^15(1 + 2 + 4)
= 2^15(7)
= E

RELATED VIDEO FROM OUR COURSE

_________________

Test confidently with gmatprepnow.com

Non-Human User
Joined: 09 Sep 2013
Posts: 9878
Re: In a sequence 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, ... each term after the first is twi  [#permalink]

### Show Tags

22 Jan 2019, 06:24
Hello from the GMAT Club BumpBot!

Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.
_________________
Re: In a sequence 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, ... each term after the first is twi   [#permalink] 22 Jan 2019, 06:24
Display posts from previous: Sort by