In a certain code, the word "FRIEND" is written as "HTKGPF". Using the same rule, how will the word "REVEAL" be coded in that code language?

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: TGXGCN

Explanation:


Introduction:
This is a letter shifting coding question where each letter of a word is transformed according to a consistent alphabetic rule. We are told how the word "FRIEND" becomes "HTKGPF" and asked to apply the same pattern to the word "REVEAL". Such questions measure your ability to detect systematic shifts in the alphabet and then apply them accurately to new inputs.


Given Data / Assumptions:
The given coding is FRIEND → HTKGPF. We assume that each letter in the original word is shifted by a fixed number of positions in the alphabet to obtain the corresponding coded letter and that the same rule applies to every letter. We also assume that the transformation is forward along the alphabet and that there is no mixing of positions or rearrangement of letters.


Concept / Approach:
The approach is to compare corresponding letters from the original word and the coded word and determine how many positions the alphabet is shifted in each case. Once we know this shift, we can apply the same shift to each letter of "REVEAL". Because the pattern must be consistent, every letter in "FRIEND" should exhibit the same shift when compared to its coded counterpart.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Write down alphabetical positions. For example, F is 6, R is 18, I is 9, E is 5, N is 14, and D is 4.Step 2: Now identify the positions of the coded letters H, T, K, G, P, and F which are 8, 20, 11, 7, 16, and 6 respectively.Step 3: Compute the differences: F to H is 6 to 8, a shift of +2; R to T is 18 to 20, again +2; I to K is 9 to 11, +2; E to G is 5 to 7, +2; N to P is 14 to 16, +2; D to F is 4 to 6, +2.Step 4: Since all letters are shifted forward by exactly 2 positions in the alphabet, the coding rule is: replace each letter with the letter that comes two positions after it.Step 5: Now apply this rule to the word "REVEAL".Step 6: R (18) becomes T (20), E (5) becomes G (7), V (22) becomes X (24), E (5) becomes G (7), A (1) becomes C (3), and L (12) becomes N (14).Step 7: Therefore, "REVEAL" is coded as T G X G C N, that is, TGXGCN.


Verification / Alternative check:
A quick verification can be done by reversing the process: shift the coded letters of "REVEAL" backwards by two positions. T back to R, G back to E, X back to V, G back to E, C back to A, and N back to L. We indeed recover "REVEAL", so the rule works perfectly in both directions.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The option TGXFCN incorrectly changes the fifth letter to F instead of C, which would require an inconsistent shift. The option TGXNGC rearranges letters and breaks the consistent positional shift. The option TXGNCG shuffles positions and letters. The option TGXGNC has the last two letters interchanged, which is again not supported by the systematic shift rule.


Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes miscount alphabet positions or apply different shifts to different letters, especially near the end of the alphabet. Another frequent mistake is to accidentally rearrange letters instead of only shifting them. Careful letter by letter checking avoids these errors.


Final Answer:
The correct coded form of "REVEAL" is TGXGCN.

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