Math Problem Statement

Let s_k = \sum_{n=1}^{k} n(0.1)^n. Find s_7.

Solution

To solve for s7s_7, we need to evaluate the expression given by:

sk=n=1kn(0.1)ns_k = \sum_{n=1}^{k} n (0.1)^n

where k=7k = 7. This means we need to compute:

s7=1(0.1)1+2(0.1)2+3(0.1)3+4(0.1)4+5(0.1)5+6(0.1)6+7(0.1)7s_7 = 1(0.1)^1 + 2(0.1)^2 + 3(0.1)^3 + 4(0.1)^4 + 5(0.1)^5 + 6(0.1)^6 + 7(0.1)^7

Let's calculate each term:

  1. 1(0.1)1=10.1=0.11 \cdot (0.1)^1 = 1 \cdot 0.1 = 0.1
  2. 2(0.1)2=20.01=0.022 \cdot (0.1)^2 = 2 \cdot 0.01 = 0.02
  3. 3(0.1)3=30.001=0.0033 \cdot (0.1)^3 = 3 \cdot 0.001 = 0.003
  4. 4(0.1)4=40.0001=0.00044 \cdot (0.1)^4 = 4 \cdot 0.0001 = 0.0004
  5. 5(0.1)5=50.00001=0.000055 \cdot (0.1)^5 = 5 \cdot 0.00001 = 0.00005
  6. 6(0.1)6=60.000001=0.0000066 \cdot (0.1)^6 = 6 \cdot 0.000001 = 0.000006
  7. 7(0.1)7=70.0000001=0.00000077 \cdot (0.1)^7 = 7 \cdot 0.0000001 = 0.0000007

Adding these together gives:

s7=0.1+0.02+0.003+0.0004+0.00005+0.000006+0.0000007s_7 = 0.1 + 0.02 + 0.003 + 0.0004 + 0.00005 + 0.000006 + 0.0000007

Calculating the sum:

s7=0.1234567s_7 = 0.1234567

Thus, s7=0.1234567s_7 = 0.1234567.

Would you like further details or have any questions? Here are some related questions for practice:

  1. How would you calculate s8s_8 using the same formula?
  2. What is the general approach to summing a series involving powers and coefficients?
  3. How does the value of sks_k behave as kk increases?
  4. Can you generalize the formula for sks_k for an arbitrary value of kk?
  5. How would the calculation change if the base was 0.20.2 instead of 0.10.1?

Tip: When working with summations, double-check each term's calculation to ensure accuracy in the final sum.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Series Summation
Exponential Decay
Algebra

Formulas

s_k = \sum_{n=1}^{k} n (0.1)^n

Theorems

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Suitable Grade Level

Grades 9-12