Question

The sum of three consecutive numbers is 72. What are the smallest of these number?

Answer 1

`23`

Explanation:

The key realization is that if we model our first number with `x`, then the next numbers can be modeled by `x+1` and `x+2`.

The word sum tells us to add. So we can add these to get the new expression

`x+(x+1)+(x+2)=72`

This simplifies to

`3x+3=72`

Subtracting `3` from both sides gives us

`3x=69`

Lastly, dividing both sides by `3` gives us

`x=23`

The smallest of the three integers is modeled by the variable `x`, so this is our answer.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

The numbers are `23, 24, and 25` and the smallest one is `23`.

Explanation:

.

Let the three consecutive numbers be `x, x+1, x+2`.

`x+x+1+x+2=72`

`3x+3=72`

`3x=69`

`x=23`

The numbers are:

`23, 24, and 25` and the smallest one is `23`.