Correct Answer:
B. Common difference
The correct answer is Common difference because an arithmetic sequence progresses by adding or subtracting a fixed constant value between each consecutive term.
- Step 1 (Definition): A sequence is arithmetic if the difference between any two consecutive terms remains constant. This constant value is known as the common difference.
- Incorrect Options:
- Addition is incorrect because addition is the operational process used to apply the common difference, not the defining characteristic of the sequence itself.
- Common ratio is incorrect because a common ratio defines a geometric sequence, where each term is multiplied by a constant to get the next term.
- None of these is incorrect because the second option is the precise mathematical definition.