Which number should come next in the series below?
32, 48, 72, 108, 162, ?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → 243
The differences 16, 24, 36, 54 are not equal, so compare each term with the one before. Each term is \(\frac{3}{2}\) times the term before:
\(32\times\frac{3}{2}=48\)
\(48\times\frac{3}{2}=72\)
\(72\times\frac{3}{2}=108\)
\(108\times\frac{3}{2}=162\)
\(162\times\frac{3}{2}=243\)
So the next number is 243.