Maths question to find next number in sequence leaves people scratching heads

23 November 2023 , 15:34

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Can you guess it? (Image: Brightside)

As soon as people leave school, many leave maths behind happily. So much of our daily maths problems are tackled with the help of computers anyway- working out the total cost of your shopping, how much change you need for cash, how long it will take to get somewhere. But this does mean that our maths skills can diminish over time. It's easy to forget even the very basics of what you grew up learning, whether that's the 12 times table or how to do long division.

This maths brain teaser has left many people scratching their heads, but if you can work it out then it's a good way to boost your cognitive function. The challenge is to work out what the next number should be in this bizarre sequence. Give it a go and see how your maths skills are holding up.

Can you guess it? (Brightside)

The image above shows the sequence you have to work out. The gist of it is that if 7 = 42, 6 = 30, and 5 = 20, then what does three equal? You have to work out the answer from all the information given to you in the picture. Keep in mind that it does not tell you what four equals either. While the sequence may seem baffling at first, you'll laugh at how simple the solution really is.

You might at first think the numbers go up by 10 each time. After all, if five is equal to 20 and six is equal to 30, then surely four, not included in the puzzle, would be equal to 10 and three would surely equal 0. Right? Except seven equals 42, not 40.

Actually, in order to work the puzzle out, you need to know your times tables. If you take a look at the numbers, you'll find a significant connection between them. Real maths whizzes could work this puzzle out in just 11 seconds so if you've got the solution already, it's a good sign that your brain is pretty sharp.

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Did you guess it right? (Brightside)

The answer, as you can see from the photo above, is 3 = 6. The rule of the sequence was every number is multiplied by the number before it. For example, in the example of 7=42, the full sum is 7 x 6 = 42. For 6 = 30, the answer is 6 x 5 = 30, meaning when 5 = 20, this is actually 5 x 4 = 20. The sum for the number four would be 4 x 3 = 12, meaning that for the number three, it has to be 3 x 2 = 6.

Did you get the answer? If you got it immediately, then you might be a genius! If not, it's worth keeping your maths and problem solving skills sharp with daily brain teasers to keep mentally healthy.

What answer did you get? Let us know in the comments.

Bryony Gooch