Common Difference Calculator

Formula

To calculate the Common Difference (d):

\[ d = a_n - a_{(n-1)} \]

Where:

\(d\) is the Common Difference
\(a_n\) is the nth Term in the sequence
\(a_{(n-1)}\) is the (n-1)th Term in the sequence

What is a Common Difference?

A common difference is a term used in arithmetic sequences to describe the constant difference between consecutive terms in the sequence. It is calculated by subtracting the preceding term from the succeeding term. For example, in the sequence 2, 5, 8, 11, the common difference is 3, because each term increases by 3 from the previous one.

Example Calculation

Let's assume the following values:

nth Term (\(a_n\)) = 11
(n-1)th Term (\(a_{(n-1)}\)) = 8

Using the formula:

\[ d = 11 - 8 = 3 \]

The Common Difference is 3.