General
What Comes Next? 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, ?
A riddle from Fawazeer's General pack — one of 2,500+ Arabic riddles across 11 themed packs. Guess, then reveal the answer below.
What is the next number in the sequence: 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, ?
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What is the answer to the sequence 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, ?
The answer is 42. Each term follows the pattern n×(n+1): 1×2=2, 2×3=6, 3×4=12, 4×5=20, 5×6=30, and 6×7=42.
What is the pattern in 2, 6, 12, 20, 30?
Each number equals n×(n+1), so the gaps grow by 2 each time (+4, +6, +8, +10). The next gap is +12, giving 30+12=42.
Why isn't the next number 40?
The differences increase steadily (4, 6, 8, 10), not stay fixed, so you add 12 to 30, not 10. That gives 42, not 40.