The volume of telemetry data, DDD, in petabytes, captured by a deep-space relay station is observed over its first three years of operation. The data volumes for years 1, 2, and 3 are modeled as the first three terms of a geometric series and are given by
2k−15,k,k+10 2k - 15, \quad k, \quad k + 10 2k−15,k,k+10where kkk is a constant.
Prove that k2+5k−150=0k^2 + 5k - 150 = 0k2+5k−150=0.
Determine the volume of data predicted to be captured in year 4.
The cumulative volume of data captured since the start of operation is predicted to exceed 5×1065 \times 10^65×106 petabytes for the first time in year NNN. Calculate the value of NNN.
308 exam-style questions on OCR (MEI) A Level Maths 1.6 Sequences and Series, covering 1.6.1 Binomial expansion for positive integer n, 1.6.2 Factorial and combinations notation, 1.6.3 Binomial expansion for rational n (A-level only), 1.6.4 Binomial expansion of (a + bx)^n via factoring (A-level only), 1.6.5 Binomial approximating polynomials (A-level only), 1.6.6 What a sequence is; finite and infinite (A-level only), 1.6.7 Generate a sequence by formula or recurrence (A-level only), 1.6.8 A series as a sum of terms (A-level only), 1.6.9 Sigma notation (A-level only), 1.6.10 Increasing, decreasing and periodic sequences (A-level only), 1.6.11 Convergent and divergent sequences (A-level only), 1.6.12 Arithmetic sequences and series (A-level only), 1.6.13 Standard formulae for arithmetic series (A-level only), 1.6.14 Geometric sequences and series (A-level only), 1.6.15 Standard formulae for geometric series (A-level only), 1.6.16 Sum to infinity of a geometric series (A-level only), and 1.6.17 Sequences and series in modelling (A-level only). Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.