What is the difference between the sums of the first (70) and first (60) natural numbers?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: 655
Subtracting the sum of the first 60 natural numbers from the sum of the first 70 leaves only the numbers from 61 to 70. Thus, the difference is \(61+62+\cdots+70\). This is an arithmetic progression with 10 terms, so its sum is \(\frac{10}{2}(61+70)=5\times131=655\). Therefore, 655 is correct. 645 is incorrect because the average of the 10 numbers from 61 to 70 is \(65.5\), giving a total of \(10\times65.5=655\). Exam tip: The difference between two “first n” sums equals the sum of the terms left in between.
Frequently asked questions
What is the correct answer to this question?
655
Why is this the correct answer?
Subtracting the sum of the first 60 natural numbers from the sum of the first 70 leaves only the numbers from 61 to 70. Thus, the difference is \(61+62+\cdots+70\). This is an arithmetic progression with 10 terms, so its sum is \(\frac{10}{2}(61+70)=5\times131=655\). Therefore, 655 is correct. 645 is incorrect because the average of the 10 numbers from 61 to 70 is \(65.5\), giving a total of \(10\times65.5=655\). Exam tip: The difference between two “first n” sums equals the sum of the terms left in between.
Which subject and chapter does this question cover?
This is a Class 9 Mathematics question. Chapter: Sequences and Progressions. Topic: Sum of first n natural numbers.
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