Number sequences

What number comes next? 7, 11, 19, 23, 31, ?

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The answer is C. Write the gaps between the numbers underneath: 4, 8, 4, 8. That shows the steps take turns: add 4, then add 8, then add 4 again. The last number is 31, so the next one is 35. Check whether the numbers are growing too fast for adding, which usually means multiplying.

What number comes next? 19, 30, 41, 52, 63, ?

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The answer is D. Write the gaps between the numbers underneath: 11, 11, 11, 11. That shows each number is 11 more than the one before. The last number is 63, so the next one is 74. Say the gaps aloud as you write them; the pattern is often easier to hear than to see.

What number comes next? 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, ?

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The answer is E. Write the gaps between the numbers underneath: 3, 3, 3, 3. That shows each number is 3 more than the one before. The last number is 25, so the next one is 28. Working out the gaps first is the habit worth teaching: it turns most of these into easy questions.

What number comes next? 28, 25, 22, 19, 16, ?

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The answer is C. Write the gaps between the numbers underneath: -3, -3, -3, -3. That shows each number is 3 less than the one before. The last number is 16, so the next one is 13. Working out the gaps first is the habit worth teaching: it turns most of these into easy questions.

What number comes next? 6, 7, 9, 12, 16, ?

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The answer is E. Write the gaps between the numbers underneath: 1, 2, 3, 4. That shows the gaps grow by one each time, starting at 1. The last number is 16, so the next one is 21. Working out the gaps first is the habit worth teaching: it turns most of these into easy questions.

What number comes next? 9, 13, 22, 26, 35, ?

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The answer is D. Write the gaps between the numbers underneath: 4, 9, 4, 9. That shows the steps take turns: add 4, then add 9, then add 4 again. The last number is 35, so the next one is 39. Say the gaps aloud as you write them; the pattern is often easier to hear than to see.

What number comes next? 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, ?

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The answer is E. Write the gaps between the numbers underneath: 3, 6, 12, 24. That shows each number is the one before multiplied by 2. The last number is 48, so the next one is 96. Check whether the numbers are growing too fast for adding, which usually means multiplying.

What number comes next? 9, 11, 19, 21, 29, ?

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The answer is D. Write the gaps between the numbers underneath: 2, 8, 2, 8. That shows the steps take turns: add 2, then add 8, then add 2 again. The last number is 29, so the next one is 31. If the gaps are not the same, look at the gaps between the gaps.

What number comes next? 4, 11, 18, 25, 32, ?

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The answer is D. Write the gaps between the numbers underneath: 7, 7, 7, 7. That shows each number is 7 more than the one before. The last number is 32, so the next one is 39. If the gaps are not the same, look at the gaps between the gaps.

What number comes next? 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, ?

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The answer is B. Write the gaps between the numbers underneath: 6, 6, 6, 6. That shows each number is 6 more than the one before. The last number is 30, so the next one is 36. Check whether the numbers are growing too fast for adding, which usually means multiplying.

What number comes next? 4, 5, 7, 10, 14, ?

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The answer is B. Write the gaps between the numbers underneath: 1, 2, 3, 4. That shows the gaps grow by one each time, starting at 1. The last number is 14, so the next one is 19. If the gaps are not the same, look at the gaps between the gaps.

What number comes next? 7, 9, 12, 16, 21, ?

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The answer is B. Write the gaps between the numbers underneath: 2, 3, 4, 5. That shows the gaps grow by one each time, starting at 2. The last number is 21, so the next one is 27. Say the gaps aloud as you write them; the pattern is often easier to hear than to see.

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Number sequences

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