Identifying the Missing Number in the Even Number Sequence

In the sequence 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, _, 22, which number is missing?

The Even Number Series

The missing number in the series is 8. This is because the sequence is formed by consecutive even numbers, starting from 2 and increasing by 2 each step.

Pattern Recognition

Each even number can be obtained by multiplying the series position by 2. For example:

2×1 2 2×2 4 2×3 6 2×4 8 2×5 10 2×6 12 2×7 14 2×8 16 2×9 18 2×10 20 2×11 22

Therefore, the 4th term in the sequence is:

2 × 4 8

Two-Step Multiplication

Another way to see this pattern is by doubling the previous number:

2 2 4 4 2 6 6 2 8 8 2 10 10 2 12 12 2 14 14 2 16 16 2 18 18 2 20 20 2 22

Understanding the Even Number Sequence

The sequence 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, _, 22 is an arithmetic sequence where the common difference between successive terms is 2. This sequence represents the first 11 even numbers.

Conclusion

Given that the sequence is a series of even numbers, the missing number in the series 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, _, 22 is 8. Understanding the pattern and how each number is derived can help quickly identify the missing value.