The sum of three consecutive numbers is 96. What is the smallest of the three numbers?

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Answer 1 · 2016-11-12T23:47:04

The smallest of the three consecutive integers is #31#.

Consecutive integers are integers that follow one another in order. For example, 4, 5 and 6 are three consecutive integers.

Let #color(red)x=# the first consecutive integers. Then

#color(blue)(x+1)=# the second consecutive integer and

#color(magenta)(x+2)=# the third consecutive integer.

The sum of the three consecutive integers is 96.

#color(red)x + color(blue)(x+1) +color(magenta)(x+2) =96#

Combine like terms.

#3x+3=color(white)(a)96#
#color(white)(aa)-3color(white)(aa)-3color(white)(aaa)#Subtract 3 from both sides

#3x=93#

#(3x)/3=93/3#

#color(red)x=31#