At first glance, this puzzle seems like something you can solve in just a few seconds.
Two rows of numbers. One missing spot.
Simple, right?
But this is the kind of little brain teaser that makes people pause, look again, and then realize their first answer may not be right at all.
Here is the puzzle:
7 5 3 4 6 8
8 3 4 2 7 ?
So, what number is missing?
Before you rush to fill in the blank, take a slow look at both rows.
Some people try to compare the numbers one by one.
Others look for a pattern from left to right.
A few people start adding and subtracting right away.
And that is where this puzzle gets interesting.
Because the answer is not always about the first pattern your eyes notice.
Sometimes, the trick is to step back and ask yourself:
What are these two rows trying to balance?
Is the missing number part of a sequence?
Is it connected to the number above it?
Or is the whole row the clue?
Give yourself a moment.
Look at the first row again.
Then look at the second row.
The warning says, “Be careful when solving this.”
That is a good hint.
This is not a puzzle to answer too quickly.
Ready for the solution?
The top row adds up to:
7 + 5 + 3 + 4 + 6 + 8 = 33
The second row has:
8 + 3 + 4 + 2 + 7 = 24
So the missing number must make the second row equal the first row.
33 – 24 = 9
So the missing number is:
9
Did you get it right away, or did another answer come to mind first?