To determine the next number in the sequence, let's look for a pattern or rule.
If we observe the differences between consecutive terms, we can see that the differences are not constant:
3 - 1 = 2
12 - 3 = 9
28 - 12 = 16
51 - 28 = 23
81 - 51 = 30
118 - 81 = 37
The differences between the consecutive terms increase by 7 each time.
Let's calculate the difference based on this pattern for the next term:
37 + 7 = 44
Now, to find the next number in the sequence, we add this difference to the last term:
118 + 44 = 162
Therefore, the next number in the sequence is 162.