What should come in place of question mark (?) in the following number series.
1440 ? 48 12 4 2

Options

A. 640
B. 960
C. 720
D. 240

Answer

To solve the given number series: 1440, ?, 48, 12, 4, 2, we need to identify the pattern in the series. Let's break it down step by step.

### Step 1: Analyze the series in reverse order
We will rewrite the series in reverse order for easier analysis:
2, 4, 12, 48, ?, 1440

### Step 2: Identify the pattern
Now, let's look for a pattern in the series:
- From 2 to 4: Multiply by 2 (2 * 2 = 4)
- From 4 to 12: Multiply by 3 (4 * 3 = 12)
- From 12 to 48: Multiply by 4 (12 * 4 = 48)

### Step 3: Continue the pattern
Following the established pattern, we can predict the next step:
- From 48 to ?: Multiply by 5 (48 * 5 = ?)

### Step 4: Calculate the missing value
Now, we perform the multiplication:
48 * 5 = 240

### Step 5: Verify the next step
Next, we need to check the final multiplication to ensure consistency:
- From ? (which we found to be 240) to 1440: Multiply by 6 (240 * 6 = 1440)

### Conclusion
Thus, the missing number in the series is 240.

The answer is 240.

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