In the number analogy 2 is to 55 as 6 is to which of the following numbers?

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: 99

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This is a numerical analogy question that requires you to recognise a pattern connecting the first number to the second and then apply the same pattern to a new number. The pair given is 2 and 55, and you must determine which option correctly completes the pair when 6 takes the place of 2.


Given Data / Assumptions:
1) The first pair is 2 and 55.
2) The second pair involves 6 and an unknown number from the options 99, 44, 9, and 33.
3) The relationship between numbers may be linear, quadratic, or involve a combination of operations.
4) The correct relationship must map 2 to 55 and map 6 to exactly one of the option values.


Concept / Approach:
A good first step in number analogies is to test simple operations such as multiplication with a constant, squaring, or linear expressions of the form ax plus b. Since 2 is small and 55 is much larger, a linear relation with a moderate slope is plausible. Trying y equal 11x plus 33 is a natural guess because 11 and 33 divide 55. If this rule works for 2 and also gives one of the options when x is 6, then we have a valid pattern.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Suppose the relation between the first and second numbers is y equal 11x plus 33. Step 2: For x equal 2, compute y. y equals 11 times 2 plus 33. This equals 22 plus 33, which is 55. So the rule fits the first pair. Step 3: Apply the same rule to x equal 6. y equals 11 times 6 plus 33. Step 4: Multiply 11 by 6 to get 66. Then add 33 to get 99. Step 5: Check that 99 appears in the list of options. It is the first option. Step 6: Verify briefly that no other simple and neat rule using smaller constants maps 2 to 55 and 6 to any other option in a more natural way.


Verification / Alternative check:
Try a simpler rule, such as y equal a multiple of x alone. If we suppose y equals kx, then 55 equals 2k, so k equals 27.5, which is not a clean integer. Using this k for x equal 6 gives 165, which is not among the options. Squaring 2 and doing additional small adjustments will not easily produce exactly 55 with a simple rule. The rule y equals 11x plus 33 is compact, uses familiar numbers, fits the first pair perfectly, and yields 99 for the second, which is a given option.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option 44 would require a different slope or constant term and does not satisfy the relation for 2 and 55 simultaneously. Option 9 is far smaller than 55 and 2, and there is no simple pattern that would map 2 to 55 and 6 to 9 together. Option 33 would suggest y equals some simple multiple or power of x, but any attempt to force such a pattern fails when checked against both pairs.


Common Pitfalls:
Learners sometimes look only at the second pair and guess based on mental associations like 6 and 99 both having digits 9, or choose numbers that simply seem familiar. The correct approach is to find a consistent rule that explains the first pair and then apply it rigidly to the second. Without that consistency, any guess is unreliable.


Final Answer:
Using the rule y equals 11x plus 33, 2 corresponds to 55 and 6 corresponds to 99. Therefore, the correct answer is 99.

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