Complete the sequence: 3, ___, 12, 24, 48

To determine the missing number in the sequence 3, ___, 12, 24, 48, it is essential to identify the pattern in the existing numbers.

By examining the numbers provided, we see that each number after the first appears to be the result of the previous number being multiplied by a specific factor. Specifically, the progression from 12 to 24 and from 24 to 48 shows that each number is multiplied by 2 (12 × 2 = 24 and 24 × 2 = 48).

Following this pattern backward:

• If we consider the number before 12, we can assume that it should also fit within this multiplying scheme. Since 12 is twice the missing number, we can find it by dividing 12 by 2, which results in 6.

Continuing this approach, we can also verify the step before the missing number:

• If 6 is the missing number, then it should also follow the multiplication pattern from 3. By multiplying 3 by 2, we obtain 6.

Thus, the sequence follows the pattern of each subsequent number being double the previous number, confirming that the missing number in the sequence is indeed 6.