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As a student preparing for any examination, competitive or otherwise, you must understand what the paper can ask you. One of the most common questions in the mathematics section is finding the missing number in a series of numbers. This question, although very interesting, seems to stump a lot of the students. So we will go through the concept to simplify it and make it easier for many students.
Understanding the missing number problem
In this section, we will go over a problem statement. The nature of the problem deals with the concept of finding the missing number. The question is frequently asked in examinations.
E.g.,
Find the missing number in the following series:
- 12 (175) 15
- 14 (219) 16
- 17 (?) 14
The explanation of the problem is a simple one. All you have to do is figure out the relation between these numbers.
The number in the middle is the product of the two numbers on the left and the right minus a difference of 5. In mathematical terms,
12 x 15 = 180
180 – 5 = 175
Similarly,
14 x 16 = 224
224 – 5 = 219
Therefore,
17 x 14 = 238
238 – 5 = 233
The number in the middle in the last statement will be 233.
Missing number questions all work in the same manner. You have to figure out the mathematical operation happening in the series of numbers given in the question. Once you do that, figuring out the missing number becomes easier.
Let us look at another example of the same.
The solution for the above-mentioned problem works out similarly to the one that we handled before:
In statement A:
84 / 12 = 7
7 x 2 = 14
In statement B:
81 / 9 = 9
9 x 2 = 18
Similarly, in statement C:
88 / 11 = 8
8 x 2 = 16
Therefore,
? = 16
Were you able to notice similarities in the above-mentioned examples and how they work out almost the same way? All you had to do in both of them was to determine the relationship between the other numbers in the complete statements.
Once you determine the relationship between the numbers from the statements given in the complete equations, you have to apply the same mathematical operation in the statement with the missing number. From there on, you can solve the missing element.
A missing number question is not difficult. Instead, it is made of the elements that make maths fun. They operate like a puzzle and improve your analytical and logical thinking capabilities. If you are to explore other similar questions, you will find that they are not very different from the ones we have solved.
Relevance in examinations
From the point of view of an examination, these questions are extremely important. The missing number of questions form a part of all qualifying examinations. Be it the paper of banking or of UPSC. You will have to brave the questions in one form or the other. It is better that you start practising these questions soon.
Targeting the missing number of questions in the examination is an excellent way to score. They are easy once you are able to notice the relation between the numbers and work out the mathematical operation behind them. Next, we are going to talk about a preparation strategy.
The game plan
If you are not well versed with the equations and mathematics problems, then one of the best ways to handle preparation would be to go after missing number solutions. They can be found easily in books and online. Studying solved examples is an easy way to understand how to work out the problem. Once you have been through enough missing number solutions, you will begin to notice a similarity in the questions that you tackle.
After a point, you can even calculate the solution without having to put your pen on the paper. And when you have reached that level of proficiency, you are ready to tackle any question paper at any level of examination.
Conclusion
To understand the problem of missing numbers, you first need to understand how to establish the relation amongst numbers. Once you master the basic maths, any problem will figure itself out on its own. All it takes is a little bit of practice and familiarity with the problem. The best way to learn mathematics is to stay at it and not give up even when you are faced with a problem that seems impossible to solve. Trust us. The solution will present itself.
