SOLUTION: what # is next? 10 4 60 90 70 18 ?

Algebra.Com
Question 1055422: what # is next? 10 4 60 90 70 18 ?
Answer by Edwin McCravy(20059)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!

I couldn't see any mathematical pattern. So I got the
notion to write out the names for the numbers:

10 = ten       <-- spelled with 3 letters
 4 = four      <-- spelled with 4 letters
60 = sixty     <-- spelled with 5 letters
90 = ninety    <-- spelled with 6 letters 
70 = seventy   <-- spelled with 7 letters
18 = eighteen  <-- spelled with 8 letters

I notice that each one contains one more letter
than the preceding one.  So the next number must
be spelled with 9 letters, since "eighteen" is
spelled with 8 letters.

But I wondered why "1 = one" or "2 = two", or "6 = six", 
which are also spelled with 3 letters, weren't chosen for 
the first number instead of "10 = ten".  So I decided that 
it must be because 10 is the LARGEST whole number whose 
name is spelled with only 3 letters.  

But then that made me wonder why "9 = nine" wasn't chosen
for the second number instead of "4 = four", since 9 is larger
and also spelled with 4 letters.  Then I noticed that all the
numbers are even. So that's explains why "9 = nine" wasn't 
chosen for the second number.  

The pattern is that it's the largest EVEN number that can be spelled 
with that many letters. 

But then I wondered why "70 = seventy" was chosen and not 
"100 = hundred", since both "seventy" and "hundred" have 7 letters.  
And 100 is an even number! Then it occurred to me that the official 
name for 100 is not "hundred" but "one hundred".   

So then I looked for the largest whole EVEN number whose official 
name is spelled with 9 letters.  I came up with "ninety-six",
as the largest even number spelled with 9 letters. I assume the 
hyphen doesn't count as a letter.

So my answer is that the next number is 96.

10 = ten        <-- largest even number spelled with 3 letters
 4 = four       <-- largest even number spelled with 4 letters
60 = sixty      <-- largest even number spelled with 5 letters
90 = ninety     <-- largest even number spelled with 6 letters 
70 = seventy    <-- largest even number spelled with 7 letters
18 = eighteen   <-- largest even number spelled with 8 letters
96 = ninety-six <-- largest even number spelled with 9 letters

Edwin

RELATED QUESTIONS

10, 9, 60, 90, 70, 66 what is the next number in the... (answered by Edwin McCravy)
What number comes next 10, 9, 60, 90, 70 and 66? (answered by ikleyn)
If you could help me with this it will be greatfully appreciated and i will donate to... (answered by checkley75)
what is the next number in the following series 12, 12, 18, 36, 90, 270 ? (answered by TX911)
1 4 9 18 68 what is the next... (answered by richwmiller)
What is 60% of... (answered by josgarithmetic,Alan3354)
what is the perimiter of a 30 60 90 triangle with a hypotenuse of... (answered by lwsshak3)
I need as many details as Possible. Thank you. The histogram below shows the... (answered by stanbon)
A combination of 10 nurses are selected out of 90 for a study. 20 of the 90 nurses are... (answered by stanbon)