What is the common difference of the arithmetic sequence 2, 5, 8, 11, ... ?

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Multiple Choice

What is the common difference of the arithmetic sequence 2, 5, 8, 11, ... ?

Explanation:
In an arithmetic sequence, the same amount is added to each term to get the next one—the common difference. Here, every step increases by 3: 5−2=3, 8−5=3, 11−8=3. That constant gap means the common difference is 3. You can also write the rule as a_n = 2 + (n−1)·3, which uses d = 3. The other values would give different jumps between terms, so they don’t work as the common difference.

In an arithmetic sequence, the same amount is added to each term to get the next one—the common difference. Here, every step increases by 3: 5−2=3, 8−5=3, 11−8=3. That constant gap means the common difference is 3. You can also write the rule as a_n = 2 + (n−1)·3, which uses d = 3. The other values would give different jumps between terms, so they don’t work as the common difference.

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