Algebra Puzzle – Critical Thinking 12
Challenge your students or kids with these mind-bending, critical-thinking puzzles. Solving this kind of challenge requires a certain combination of creative thinking and logical reasoning.
Challenge:
What is the next number?
3, 7, 23, 87, …?
The Absolute Best Book to Challenge Your Smart Student!

The correct answer is 343.
Find the pattern. First, try to find the relationship between the first and second numbers, 3 and 7.
7 is 3 plus 4, it’s also twice of 3 plus 1, or it’s three times of 3 minus 2, or 4 times of 3 minus 5.
Now, check the relationships with other numbers. For example 7 and 23.
23 is 7 plus 16. It’s also twice of 7 plus 9, or three times of seven plus 2, or four times of 7 minus 5. The last relationship is common for both 3 – 7 and 7 – 21.
Four times of 23 minus 5 is 87. Bingo!!
Therefore, the answer is: 4 × 87 – 5 = 343
The Absolute Best Books to Ace Algebra
Original price was: $29.99.$19.99Current price is: $19.99.Original price was: $29.99.$14.99Current price is: $14.99.Original price was: $29.99.$14.99Current price is: $14.99.Satisfied 1 StudentsOriginal price was: $24.99.$14.99Current price is: $14.99.Satisfied 92 StudentsOriginal price was: $24.99.$15.99Current price is: $15.99.Satisfied 125 Students
Related to This Article
More math articles
- The Ultimate ISEE Lower Level Math Formula Cheat Sheet
- How to Understand the Fundamental Properties of Parallelograms
- How to Add and Subtract Matrices? (+FREE Worksheet!)
- 7th Grade SOL Math Worksheets: FREE & Printable
- Volume Calculation Method of Cross-Sections
- 6th Grade NYSE Math Practice Test Questions
- How to Solve Multi-step Word Problems for Finding Starting and Ending Times
- 8th Grade OST Math Practice Test Questions
- Full-Length 7th Grade MCAS Math Practice Test
- Coordinate Planes as Maps

















What people say about "Algebra Puzzle – Critical Thinking 12 - Effortless Math: We Help Students Learn to LOVE Mathematics"?
No one replied yet.