Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: Thursday
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This calendar question asks you to reason about two consecutive 31-day months. You are given the weekday of the second day of the first month and asked to find the weekday of the last day of the second month. This tests your ability to track weekday shifts across multiple months of known length.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
We use two ideas:
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: The second day of the first month is Sunday. Therefore, the first day of that month is Saturday.Step 2: The first month has 31 days. To find the weekday of the 31st of this month, move 30 days forward from the 1st.Step 3: Since 30 = 28 + 2, the weekday shifts 2 days ahead from the weekday of the 1st.Step 4: Starting from Saturday (the 1st), two days forward gives Monday. So the 31st day of the first month is Monday.Step 5: The next month starts the day after the 31st of the first month. So the 1st day of the second month is Tuesday.Step 6: The second month also has 31 days. The 31st day of the second month is 30 days after its 1st day.Step 7: Again, 30 days correspond to 28 + 2 days, so the weekday shifts 2 days ahead from Tuesday.Step 8: Moving 2 days forward from Tuesday gives Thursday.
Verification / Alternative check:
You can reason more compactly: a 31-day month advances the weekday of the same date next month by 3 days. Two consecutive 31-day months therefore advance the weekday by 6 days for the same date number, and by 6 + (number of days difference between the particular dates) in more complex cases. Following the detailed step-by-step approach, however, keeps the logic transparent and easy to verify.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Tuesday or Wednesday would result from a smaller shift than the one created by two 31-day months. Friday or Saturday would correspond to a larger forward shift than the two blocks of 31 days actually produce. Only Thursday matches the precise day counting.
Common Pitfalls:
Final Answer:
The last day of the next 31-day month will be a Thursday.
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