In a certain code language, 'DRAWING' is written as 'CQZVHMF' and 'TURQUOISE' is written as ' STQPTNHRD', how will 'COLOR' be written in that language?

Question

Prepp Team · Accepted Answer

Decoding the Code Language Pattern

The question asks us to find the coded form of the word 'COLOR' based on the pattern observed in the given examples: 'DRAWING' is coded as 'CQZVHMF' and 'TURQUOISE' is coded as 'STQPTNHRD'. We need to analyze the relationship between the letters in the original words and their corresponding coded forms.

Analyzing the Coding Pattern

Let's look at the first example, 'DRAWING' and its code 'CQZVHMF'. We can compare the letters position by position:

D in DRAWING corresponds to C in CQZVHMF. C is the letter before D.
R in DRAWING corresponds to Q in CQZVHMF. Q is the letter before R.
A in DRAWING corresponds to Z in CQZVHMF. Z is the letter before A (wrapping around the alphabet).
W in DRAWING corresponds to V in CQZVHMF. V is the letter before W.
I in DRAWING corresponds to H in CQZVHMF. H is the letter before I.
N in DRAWING corresponds to M in CQZVHMF. M is the letter before N.
G in DRAWING corresponds to F in CQZVHMF. F is the letter before G.

The pattern seems to be shifting each letter one position backward in the English alphabet. Let's verify this pattern with the second example, 'TURQUOISE' and 'STQPTNHRD'.

T → S (S is before T)
U → T (T is before U)
R → Q (Q is before R)
Q → P (P is before Q)
U → T (T is before U)
O → N (N is before O)
I → H (H is before I)
S → R (R is before S)
E → D (D is before E)

The pattern holds true for the second example as well. Each letter in the original word is replaced by the letter that comes immediately before it in the alphabet.

Applying the Pattern to 'COLOR'

Now, we apply the identified pattern to the word 'COLOR'. We need to find the letter that comes before each letter in 'COLOR'.

For C: The letter before C is B.
For O: The letter before O is N.
For L: The letter before L is K.
For O: The letter before O is N.
For R: The letter before R is Q.

Combining these coded letters, we get 'BNKNQ'.

Resulting Code for COLOR

Based on the analysis of the coding language pattern, the word 'COLOR' is written as 'BNKNQ'.

Comparing with Options

Let's compare our result 'BNKNQ' with the given options:

Option 1: BNKNQ
Option 2: BMKMQ
Option 3: ANKNQ
Option 4: AMKMQ

Our calculated code 'BNKNQ' matches Option 1.

Original Word	Letter	Rule (\( \text{Letter} - 1 \))	Coded Letter
COLOR	C	C - 1	B
	O	O - 1	N
	L	L - 1	K
	O	O - 1	N
	R	R - 1	Q

Conclusion on Code Language

The code language used follows a simple substitution cipher where each letter is replaced by the letter preceding it in the alphabet. This consistent rule was applied to 'COLOR' to find its coded form.

Revision Table: Code Language Mapping

Original Letter	Coded Letter (\( \text{Previous Letter} \))
A	Z
B	A
C	B
D	C
...	...
R	Q
S	R
T	S
U	T
V	U
W	V
...	...
Z	Y

Additional Information: Substitution Ciphers and Code Languages

The type of code language used in this problem is a form of substitution cipher. In a substitution cipher, each letter or group of letters in the original message is replaced by another letter, number, or symbol according to a consistent rule.

Caesar Cipher: The specific cipher here, where each letter is shifted by a fixed number of positions (in this case, -1), is a type of Caesar cipher. A standard Caesar cipher shifts letters by a fixed number of positions down the alphabet. Shifting by -1 is equivalent to shifting by +25 (or 25 positions forward).
Simple Substitution: More broadly, simple substitution ciphers replace each letter of the alphabet with another letter or symbol. The key is the mapping of each original letter to its replacement. In this case, the key is simply "each letter is replaced by the one before it".
Cryptanalysis: Analyzing code languages like this often involves looking for patterns, frequency analysis of letters, or using known plaintext (like the examples given in the question) to deduce the substitution rule.

Understanding these basic coding principles is fundamental in verbal reasoning and pattern recognition questions. Practice with different types of shifts and substitutions can help in quickly identifying the rule in such code language problems.