In a certain code language, 'PEPPER' is coded as 76 and 'CUCUMBER' is coded as 86. How will 'CAULIFLOWER' be coded in that language?

Question

Prepp Team · Accepted Answer

Decoding the Word Coding Pattern

This question presents a word coding problem where words are coded into numerical values. We are given two examples: 'PEPPER' coded as 76 and 'CUCUMBER' coded as 86. Our task is to find the code for 'CAULIFLOWER' using the same pattern.

Analyzing the Given Word Codes

Let's examine the provided examples to understand the coding rule. A common method in such problems is to assign numerical values to letters based on their position in the English alphabet (A=1, B=2, ..., Z=26) and then perform some operation (like summing, multiplying, etc.).

Coding of 'PEPPER'

Let's find the alphabetical position value for each letter in 'PEPPER':

P = 16
E = 5
P = 16
P = 16
E = 5
R = 18

Now, let's try summing these values:

$$ \text{Sum} = 16 + 5 + 16 + 16 + 5 + 18 $$ $$ \text{Sum} = 76 $$

Letter	Alphabetical Position
P	16
E	5
P	16
P	16
E	5
R	18
Total Sum	76

The calculated sum is 76, which exactly matches the given code for 'PEPPER'.

Coding of 'CUCUMBER'

Let's apply the same method to 'CUCUMBER':

C = 3
U = 21
C = 3
U = 21
M = 13
B = 2
E = 5
R = 18

Let's sum these values:

$$ \text{Sum} = 3 + 21 + 3 + 21 + 13 + 2 + 5 + 18 $$ $$ \text{Sum} = 86 $$

Letter	Alphabetical Position
C	3
U	21
C	3
U	21
M	13
B	2
E	5
R	18
Total Sum	86

The calculated sum is 86, which matches the given code for 'CUCUMBER'.

Based on the analysis of both examples, it appears the coding pattern is simply the sum of the alphabetical positions of all the letters in the word.

Calculating the Code for 'CAULIFLOWER'

Now we apply this established pattern to find the code for 'CAULIFLOWER'. Let's list the alphabetical position of each letter:

C = 3
A = 1
U = 21
L = 12
I = 9
F = 6
L = 12
O = 15
W = 23
E = 5
R = 18

Next, we sum these values:

$$ \text{Sum} = 3 + 1 + 21 + 12 + 9 + 6 + 12 + 15 + 23 + 5 + 18 $$

Let's add them step by step:

$$ \text{Sum} = 4 + 21 + 12 + 9 + 6 + 12 + 15 + 23 + 5 + 18 $$ $$ \text{Sum} = 25 + 12 + 9 + 6 + 12 + 15 + 23 + 5 + 18 $$ $$ \text{Sum} = 37 + 9 + 6 + 12 + 15 + 23 + 5 + 18 $$ $$ \text{Sum} = 46 + 6 + 12 + 15 + 23 + 5 + 18 $$ $$ \text{Sum} = 52 + 12 + 15 + 23 + 5 + 18 $$ $$ \text{Sum} = 64 + 15 + 23 + 5 + 18 $$ $$ \text{Sum} = 79 + 23 + 5 + 18 $$ $$ \text{Sum} = 102 + 5 + 18 $$ $$ \text{Sum} = 107 + 18 $$ $$ \text{Sum} = 125 $$

Letter	Alphabetical Position
C	3
A	1
U	21
L	12
I	9
F	6
L	12
O	15
W	23
E	5
R	18
Total Sum	125

The sum of the alphabetical positions of the letters in 'CAULIFLOWER' is 125.

Conclusion

Following the pattern observed in the examples, the code for 'CAULIFLOWER' is 125.

Revision Table: Word Coding Analysis

Word	Letter Values (Alphabetical Position)	Sum of Values	Given Code	Pattern Match
PEPPER	16, 5, 16, 16, 5, 18	76	76	Yes
CUCUMBER	3, 21, 3, 21, 13, 2, 5, 18	86	86	Yes
CAULIFLOWER	3, 1, 21, 12, 9, 6, 12, 15, 23, 5, 18	125	?	Predicted: 125

Additional Information: Word Coding Patterns

Word coding questions in reasoning often use various patterns beyond simple summing of alphabetical positions. Here are a few common types:

Sum of position values: As seen in this problem (A=1, B=2, ...).
Sum of reverse position values: (A=26, B=25, ...).
Sum of position values with a constant addition/subtraction: The sum is calculated, and then a fixed number is added or subtracted.
Sum based on vowels/consonants: Different rules or values might be applied to vowels and consonants.
Position in alphabetical order within the word: Assigning values based on the order in which letters appear alphabetically within the specific word.
Product of position values: Multiplying the values instead of summing them (less common for longer words due to large numbers).
Combination of rules: A mix of the above, or more complex rules involving the number of letters, number of vowels, etc.