Write the first five terms of the arithmetic sequence with first term 17 and common difference -3.

1. Begin at the first term, 17. 2. Adding -3 is the same as subtracting 3, so the second term is 17 - 3 = 14. 3. Continuing gives 14 - 3 = 11, then 11 - 3 = 8, then 8 - 3 = 5. 4. The first five terms are {17, 14, 11, 8, 5}. 5. Subtracting 4 each time would give {17, 13, 9, 5, 1}, so misreading the size of the step is the trap here. _Source: OpenStax Algebra and Trigonometry (CC BY 4.0), Ch 13 "Sequences, Probability and Counting Theory", section 13.2 Arithmetic Sequences_