Which number replaces the question mark?
2024
Which number replaces the question mark?
- A.
2
- B.
6
- C.
5
- D.
1
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
This is a segment-wise circle-pattern series. Each circle has four segments: top-left, top-right, bottom-left, and bottom-right. The fourth circle is built by adding the corresponding segments of the first two circles, and the fifth circle is built by taking the absolute difference between the corresponding segments of the second and third circles. The rule is applied segment by segment, never to the circle as a whole.
Apply this rule to every segment of the five circles:
Segment | Circle 1 | Circle 2 | Circle 3 | Circle 4 (Circle 1 + Circle 2) | Circle 5 (|Circle 2 − Circle 3|) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Top-left | 3 | 8 | 1 | 11 | 7 |
Top-right | 2 | 9 | 3 | 11 | 6 |
Bottom-left | 6 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 2 |
Bottom-right | 1 | 7 | 2 | 8 | ? |
The top-left, top-right, and bottom-left entries of Circle 4 and Circle 5 already match the numbers shown in the image (11, 11, 8 for Circle 4; 7, 6, 2 for Circle 5), which confirms the rule holds consistently across the series.
Apply the same rule to the bottom-right segment: take the bottom-right values of Circle 2 and Circle 3 (7 and 2) and find their absolute difference: |7 − 2| = 5. So the missing number is 5.