RAS question
4 : 16 :: 6 : ?
Correct answer: (C) 36.
In the analogy 4 : 16 :: 6 : ?, the missing term is 36 because each number is paired with its square.
Explanation
The relation is number to square. In the first pair, 4 becomes 16 because 4 squared is 16. Applying the same rule to the second pair, 6 must become 6 squared, which is 36. The NCERT pattern table lists square numbers as 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49 and so on, so both 16 and 36 belong to the same square-number sequence. This makes option C the only option that preserves the exact analogy rule.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) 24 would follow a multiplication-by-4 rule for 6, but that does not explain why 4 is paired with 16 as a square relation.
- (B) 30 is 6 multiplied by 5, which changes the operation and therefore breaks the number-to-square pattern.
- (D) 42 is 6 multiplied by 7, not the square of 6, so it does not match the relation used in 4 : 16.
Concept
This tests number analogy through square-number recognition. Such questions recur in RAS reasoning because they check whether the candidate can identify the governing pattern instead of applying a random arithmetic operation.