In an exponential (geometric) sequence, the fixed factor used to obtain the next term is called:

• A. The common difference
• B. The common sum
• C. The common product
• D. The common ratio

Answer: (D)

In an exponential (geometric) sequence, each term is found by multiplying the previous term by the same fixed factor. This factor is called the common ratio. It shows how the sequence scales from one term to the next: a ratio greater than 1 grows, between 0 and 1 shrinks, and a negative ratio would alternate signs. The term used to describe the fixed multiplier here is the common ratio. By contrast, the common difference belongs to arithmetic sequences (where you add the same amount each step), and terms like common sum or common product aren’t standard descriptors for this context. For example, if you start with 4 and multiply by 2 each time, you get 4, 8, 16, 32, and the factor 2 is the common ratio.