What is the next number in the sequence: 4, 12, 6, 9?

To determine the next number in the sequence 4, 12, 6, 9, we first need to analyze the pattern of the numbers presented.

In the sequence, we can observe a pattern in the operations applied to the numbers. Starting with 4, the next number is obtained by multiplying 4 by 3, resulting in 12. After that, the next number is found by dividing 12 by 2, giving us 6. Continuing with this method, the following number, 9, is reached by adding 3 to 6.

Following this established alternating pattern of operations, we can expect the operation following 9 to be a division by 1. This means we would take 9 and add 1 to determine the next number. Adding 1 to 9 gives us 10.

Therefore, the correct answer, representing the next number in the sequence, is 10. This number logically follows the observed pattern of alternating between different arithmetic operations.