Find the missing term:

3, 7, 15, 31, ?

Correct Answer: 63

To find the missing term in the given number series, let us analyze the pattern or relationship between consecutive terms:

3, 7, 15, 31, ?

Method 1: Multiplying by 2 and adding 1

We can observe that each term is obtained by doubling the previous term and then adding 1:

$3\×2+1=6+1=7$

$7\×2+1=14+1=15$

$15\×2+1=30+1=31$

Following the same rule for the missing term:

$31\×2+1=62+1=63$

Method 2: Looking at the differences between terms

Let us take the difference between consecutive numbers in the sequence:

$7-3=4$

$15-7=8$

$31-15=16$

Notice that the differences double each time: 4, 8, 16, ...

Therefore, the next difference must be:

$16\×2=32$

Adding 32 to the last term gives:

$31+32=63$

Thus, the missing term in the sequence is 63.