Complete the sequence 96, 92, 91, 87, 86 with the next appropriate number.

To determine the next number in the sequence 96, 92, 91, 87, 86, it is helpful to analyze the pattern of the sequence.

The sequence starts with 96 and the following numbers are achieved through a series of changes. From 96 to 92, there is a reduction of 4. The next number, 91, is just 1 less than 92, indicating a smaller decrement. Then, from 91 to 87, the number decreases by 4 again, and finally, from 87 to 86, there is another decrease of 1.

The reductions can be summarized as follows:

• 96 to 92: decrease of 4
• 92 to 91: decrease of 1
• 91 to 87: decrease of 4
• 87 to 86: decrease of 1

It can be observed that the sequence alternates between decreasing by 4 and decreasing by 1. Following this pattern, after the last number, 86, the next operation should be to decrease by 4 again.

Thus, from 86, if we subtract 4, we get:

86 - 4 = 82

This aligns perfectly