Find the missing term in the following series.
3, 4, 12, 45, 196, ?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
The given number series follows the pattern: (Previous number × n) + n2, where n starts from 1 and increases by 1 at each step.
• 3 × 1 + 12 = 3 + 1 = 4
• 4 × 2 + 22 = 8 + 4 = 12
• 12 × 3 + 32 = 36 + 9 = 45
• 45 × 4 + 42 = 180 + 16 = 196
• 196 × 5 + 52 = 980 + 25 = 1005
Therefore, the missing term is 1005.