Which figure from the options comes next in the series of problem figures given below?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) →
Two things change from figure to figure: one spoke is taken away each time (8, 7, 6, 5, 4 spokes), and the small triangle moves one place anticlockwise round the edge of the box each time. So the next figure has 3 spokes and the small triangle at the middle of the left side.
Why the other options are incorrect
Option (2) — Incorrect. The small triangle is right, but the number of spokes has not changed: there are still 4, as in the last figure.
Option (3) — Incorrect. The small triangle is right, but there are 5 spokes: a spoke is added instead of taken away.
Option (4) — Incorrect. The number of spokes is right, but the small triangle has moved one place clockwise instead of anticlockwise.