Arithmetic Progressions — CBSE Class 10 Maths Important Questions
13 hand-picked CBSE Class 10 Maths important questions for Arithmetic Progressions, each with a full model answer — the formats and topics most likely to appear in your board exam.
- 13
- Questions
- 6
- Question types
- 32
- Total marks
- ₹0
- With answers
Arithmetic Progressions — CBSE Class 10 Maths Important Questions
Spot the Pattern, Then the Sum
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About Arithmetic Progressions
Arithmetic Progressions is a high-scoring chapter from the Algebra unit, contributing regularly across MCQ, short-answer, long-answer and case-study sections of the CBSE board paper. The questions below are modelled on genuine previous-year and sample papers (2019-2024), emphasising the nth term, the sum of n terms, condition-for-AP problems, and word/case problems.
Key concepts & formulas
For an AP with first term a and common difference d, the nth term is a_n = a + (n-1)d. The common difference is d = a_n - a_n-1, which is constant for every consecutive pair.
S_n = n/2[2a + (n-1)d] = n/2(a + l), where l is the last term. Also, the nth term can be recovered as a_n = S_n - S_n-1.
A list of numbers is an AP if and only if the difference of consecutive terms is constant. In particular, three numbers a, b, c are in AP if and only if 2b = a + c.
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Important questions with answers
Try each on paper first, then reveal the model answer to check your method.
| Question type | Count | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| MCQ | 4 | 1 |
| Assertion–Reason | 1 | 1 |
| Very Short | 2 | 2 |
| Short Answer | 3 | 3 |
| Long Answer | 2 | 5 |
| Case-based | 1 | 4 |
Multiple-choice questions (1 mark)
If the nth term of an AP is a_n = 7 - 4n, then its common difference is:
- (a)
4
- (b)
-4
- (c)
3
- (d)
7
Show model answer
Answer: (b) -4.
Here a_1 = 7 - 4 = 3 and a_2 = 7 - 8 = -1, so d = a_2 - a_1 = -1 - 3 = -4. (The coefficient of n always gives d.)
The 11th term of the AP -5, -5/2, 0, 5/2, is:
- (a)
-20
- (b)
20
- (c)
-30
- (d)
30
Show model answer
Answer: (b) 20.
Here a = -5 and d = 5/2. So a_11 = a + 10d = -5 + 10 × 5/2 = -5 + 25 = 20.
If 2x, x + 10, 3x + 2 are three consecutive terms of an AP, then the value of x is:
- (a)
4
- (b)
6
- (c)
8
- (d)
10
Show model answer
Answer: (b) 6.
For an AP the middle term is the average of its neighbours: 2(x + 10) = 2x + (3x + 2) 2x + 20 = 5x + 2 3x = 18 x = 6.
How many two-digit numbers are divisible by 3?
- (a)
29
- (b)
30
- (c)
31
- (d)
33
Show model answer
Answer: (b) 30.
The numbers are 12, 15, 18, , 99, an AP with a = 12, d = 3 and a_n = 99. Then 99 = 12 + (n-1)3 n - 1 = 29 n = 30.
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Practise free with the AI tutor →Assertion–Reason questions (1 mark)
Assertion (A): The sum of the first 20 positive integers is 210.
Reason (R): The sum of the first n positive integers is given by S_n = n(n+1)/2.
- (a)
Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
- (b)
Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
- (c)
A is true but R is false
- (d)
A is false but R is true
Show model answer
Answer: (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
Using S_n = n(n+1)/2 with n = 20 gives S_20 = 20 × 21/2 = 210, so R directly proves A.
Very short answer questions (2 marks)
How many terms of the AP 27, 24, 21, must be taken so that their sum is zero?
Show model answer
Here a = 27, d = -3. Using S_n = n/2[2a + (n-1)d] = 0:
n/2[54 + (n-1)(-3)] = 0 54 - 3(n-1) = 0 57 = 3n n = 19.
So 19 terms must be taken.
Which term of the AP 3, 8, 13, 18, is equal to 78?
Show model answer
Here a = 3, d = 5 and a_n = 78.
78 = 3 + (n-1)5 75 = 5(n-1) n - 1 = 15 n = 16.
Hence 78 is the 16th term.
Short answer questions (3 marks)
In an AP, the sum of the first 7 terms is 49 and the sum of the first 17 terms is 289. Find the sum of its first n terms, and hence the sum of its first 20 terms. (CBSE 2024)
Show model answer
S_7 = 7/2[2a + 6d] = 49 a + 3d = 7 ...(i)
S_17 = 17/2[2a + 16d] = 289 a + 8d = 17 ...(ii)
Subtracting (i) from (ii): 5d = 10 d = 2, so a = 7 - 6 = 1.
S_n = n/2[2(1) + (n-1)2] = n/2(2n) = n^2.
Therefore S_20 = 20^2 = 400.
The sum of the 4th and 8th terms of an AP is 24, and the sum of the 6th and 10th terms is 44. Find the first three terms of the AP.
Show model answer
a_4 + a_8 = (a + 3d) + (a + 7d) = 2a + 10d = 24 a + 5d = 12 ...(i)
a_6 + a_10 = (a + 5d) + (a + 9d) = 2a + 14d = 44 a + 7d = 22 ...(ii)
Subtracting (i) from (ii): 2d = 10 d = 5, so a = 12 - 25 = -13.
The first three terms are -13, -8, -3.
Solve for x: 1 + 4 + 7 + 10 + + x = 287. (CBSE)
Show model answer
The left side is an AP with a = 1, d = 3 and last term x, whose sum is 287.
S_n = n/2[2(1) + (n-1)3] = 287 n(3n - 1) = 574 3n^2 - n - 574 = 0.
n = 1 + √1 + 6888/6 = 1 + 83/6 = 14 (taking the positive root).
Then x = a_14 = 1 + 13 × 3 = 40.
Long answer questions (5 marks)
200 logs are stacked so that there are 20 logs in the bottom row, 19 in the next row, 18 in the row above it, and so on. In how many rows are the 200 logs placed, and how many logs are in the top row? (NCERT)
Show model answer
Here a = 20, d = -1 and S_n = 200.
n/2[2(20) + (n-1)(-1)] = 200 n(41 - n) = 400 n^2 - 41n + 400 = 0.
(n - 16)(n - 25) = 0 n = 16 or n = 25.
If n = 25, then a_25 = 20 + 24(-1) = -4, which is impossible (a row cannot hold a negative number of logs). So n = 16.
Top row logs = a_16 = 20 + 15(-1) = 5.
Hence the logs are placed in 16 rows with 5 logs in the top row.
The ratio of the sum of the first m terms to the sum of the first n terms of an AP is m^2 : n^2. Show that the ratio of its mth term to its nth term is (2m - 1) : (2n - 1).
Show model answer
Given S_m/S_n = m^2/n^2:
m/2[2a + (m-1)d]n/2[2a + (n-1)d] = m^2/n^2 2a + (m-1)d/2a + (n-1)d = m/n.
Cross-multiplying: n[2a + (m-1)d] = m[2a + (n-1)d]
2an + mnd - nd = 2am + mnd - md 2a(n - m) = d(n - m).
Since m ≠ n, we get d = 2a.
Now a_m/a_n = a + (m-1)d/a + (n-1)d = a + (m-1)(2a)/a + (n-1)(2a) = a(2m - 1)/a(2n - 1) = 2m - 1/2n - 1.
Hence the ratio of the mth to the nth term is (2m - 1) : (2n - 1).
Case-based questions (4 marks)
Case Study: A manufacturing company's annual production of TV sets increases uniformly by a fixed number each year, so it forms an arithmetic progression. The company produced 6000 sets in its 3rd year of operation and 7000 sets in its 7th year.
Based on this information, answer the following:
(i) Find the production in the first year.
(ii) Find the annual increase in production (the common difference).
(iii) Find the production in the 10th year, OR find the total production during the first 7 years.
Show model answer
Let first-year production = a and annual increase = d.
Given a_3 = a + 2d = 6000 and a_7 = a + 6d = 7000.
Subtracting: 4d = 1000 d = 250.
(i) a = 6000 - 2(250) = 6000 - 500 = 5500 sets.
(ii) Annual increase d = 250 sets per year.
(iii) Production in the 10th year = a_10 = 5500 + 9(250) = 5500 + 2250 = 7750 sets.
OR Total in first 7 years = S_7 = 7/2[2(5500) + 6(250)] = 7/2[11000 + 1500] = 7/2(12500) = 43750 sets.
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Are these Arithmetic Progressions important questions free?
Yes. All 13 CBSE Class 10 Maths important questions for Arithmetic Progressions are free, with full model answers and no login required.Do these Arithmetic Progressions questions follow the latest CBSE syllabus?
Yes — they are aligned to the NCERT 2026–27 syllabus for CBSE Class 10 Maths, so nothing here is outside the current course.How should I practise the Arithmetic Progressions important questions?
Attempt each question on paper first, then reveal the model answer to check your method — not just the final result. Re-do anything you got wrong the same day.What types of questions are covered for Arithmetic Progressions?
A full mix — multiple-choice questions, assertion–reason questions, very short answer questions, short answer questions, long answer questions, case-based questions — so every format in the CBSE paper is covered.
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