Repeated Operations Math Example 2

Follow the full solution, then compare it with the other examples linked below.

Example 2

medium
Start with 2 and repeatedly double it. What are the first 5 values? What operation are you applying each time?

Solution

  1. 1
    Start: 2.
  2. 2
    Double once: \(2 \times 2 = 4\).
  3. 3
    Double again: \(4 \times 2 = 8\).
  4. 4
    Double again: \(8 \times 2 = 16\).
  5. 5
    Double again: \(16 \times 2 = 32\).
  6. 6
    Sequence: 2, 4, 8, 16, 32. Operation: multiply by 2.

Answer

2, 4, 8, 16, 32
Repeated multiplication by 2 (doubling) creates a geometric sequence that grows very fast.

About Repeated Operations

Applying the same operation multiple times in succession, where the repetition is often compressed into a higher-level operation: repeated addition becomes multiplication (n⋅an \cdot a), and repeated multiplication becomes exponentiation (ana^n).

Learn more about Repeated Operations →

More Repeated Operations Examples

Example 1 easy

Start at 3 and add 4 repeatedly. Write the first 5 results.

Example 3 easy

Start at 50 and subtract 7 repeatedly. Write the first 4 results.

Example 4 medium

Start with 1 and multiply by 3 repeatedly. What is the 5th value in the sequence?

← All Repeated Operations Examples Repeated Operations Concept