A hint to get started
Compare geometric and arithmetic instrument bars
Instruments A and B have bars of decreasing lengths.
(i) A has first bar cm and a GP of lengths; its 25th bar is cm. Show the total length is less than cm, however many bars there are.
B has the first 25 identical bars from A. (ii) Find its total and its 13th bar length.
(iii) A mistaken B has 25 AP lengths, the same total , and last bar still cm. Find its common difference and longest bar.
[2009/I/8]
CJC · Discussion · Question 16
Retain the exact geometric total when setting up the later arithmetic progression.