Number series (find the wrong term): 190, 166, 145, 128, 112, 100, 91 Identify the one term that violates the intended decrement pattern and justify your choice.

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: 128

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
Many decreasing sequences are built by subtracting a series of numbers that themselves follow a simple pattern. Here the intended subtractions decrease by a constant amount each time. We must find the single term that disrupts this rhythm.



Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Series: 190, 166, 145, 128, 112, 100, 91
  • Exactly one term is wrong.


Concept / Approach:
Check consecutive differences: 190→166 (−24), 166→145 (−21), 145→128 (−17), 128→112 (−16), 112→100 (−12), 100→91 (−9). A cleaner intended pattern is to subtract numbers that drop by 3 each time: −24, −21, −18, −15, −12, −9.



Step-by-Step Solution:
Start with 190; subtract 24 to get 166 ✔Subtract 21 to get 145 ✔Next should subtract 18 to get 127, but the series shows 128 ✖Continue the intended pattern: 127 − 15 = 112 ✔Then 112 − 12 = 100 ✔; 100 − 9 = 91 ✔Therefore, 128 is the single inconsistent value; it should have been 127.



Verification / Alternative check:
The corrected series 190, 166, 145, 127, 112, 100, 91 uses differences −24, −21, −18, −15, −12, −9, a neat arithmetic-step pattern.



Why Other Options Are Wrong:

  • 166, 145, 112, 100: Each fits when differences reduce by 3 each step.
  • 128: Deviates from the smooth −24, −21, −18, −15, −12, −9 pattern.


Common Pitfalls:
Overfitting irregular difference lists; instead, try to find the simplest consistent rule that fixes the sequence with a single correction.



Final Answer:
128

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