What is the missing number 'X' of the series 7, X, 21, 31, 43?
- A11
- B12
- C13Correct
- D14
Explanation
The given series is 7, X, 21, 31, 43. To find the missing number 'X', let's analyze the differences between consecutive terms.
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Calculate the differences between the known consecutive terms: 31 - 21 = 10 43 - 31 = 12
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Observe the pattern in these differences: The differences are 10 and 12. This shows an increase of 2 (12 - 10 = 2). This suggests that the differences between consecutive terms are increasing by 2 each time.
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Extend this pattern backwards: If the differences are increasing by 2, then the difference before 10 should be 10 - 2 = 8. And the difference before 8 should be 8 - 2 = 6. So, the sequence of differences should be 6, 8, 10, 12.
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Apply this pattern to find X: The first difference in the series is (X - 7). According to our pattern, this difference should be 6. X - 7 = 6 X = 6 + 7 X = 13
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Verify the complete series with X = 13: The series becomes: 7, 13, 21, 31, 43. Let's check the differences: 13 - 7 = 6 21 - 13 = 8 31 - 21 = 10 43 - 31 = 12 The differences (6, 8, 10, 12) form an arithmetic progression with a common difference of 2, confirming the pattern.
Therefore, the missing number 'X' is 13.
The final answer is C) 13.

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