Answer:
This is a geometric sequence and the ratio is equal to 4.
Explanation:
Arithmetic means you can continue the sequence through addition or subtraction.
Geometric means you can continue the sequence through multiplication or division.
To get from 3 to 12, we could either add 9 (arithmetic) or multiply by 4 (geometric).
To get from 12 to 48, we could either add 36 or multiply by 4.
Since we are looking for a pattern, the sequence would be geometric. This is because the sequence can be continued by multiplying by 4 each time. It cannot be arithmetic because we cannot add by 9 each time.
On a side note, common difference is used when describing arithmetic while ratio is used to describe geometric.