What number comes next in the series 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, ___?
Correct answer: C. 42
The differences are 4, 6, 8 and 10, increasing by 2 each time, so the next difference is 12: 30 + 12 = 42. The terms are also 1×2, 2×3, 3×4, 4×5, 5×6, so the next is 6×7 = 42.
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