Number series – find the wrong term (identify the outlier). Sequence: 46080, 3840, 384, 48, 24, 2, 1

Introduction / Context:
Many competitive exams include number series questions where one term does not follow the rule that generates the rest. The task is to detect the underlying operation pattern and identify the incorrect term that breaks it.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Series provided: 46080, 3840, 384, 48, 24, 2, 1
• Exactly one term is wrong.
• Operations are typically clean integer operations such as multiplication or division by a steadily changing factor.

Concept / Approach:
Look at consecutive ratios or divisors. In many decreasing sequences, each term is derived by dividing the previous term by a changing even number or by a consistent pattern such as dividing by descending even integers.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
If we replace 24 with 8, the sequence of divisors becomes 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 which is perfectly regular. This confirms 24 is the anomaly.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• 1 and 2: They fit the final steps of dividing by 2 repeatedly at the end of the descending pattern.
• 384: Matches division by 10 from 3840 correctly.

Common Pitfalls:
Focusing only on differences rather than ratios can hide a clean divisor pattern. Always check both differences and ratios.

Final Answer:
24