If the sum of three consecutive integers is 72, what is the smallest integer? (2

If the sum of three consecutive integers is 72, what is the smallest integer? (2021)

If the sum of three consecutive integers is 72, what is the smallest integer? (2021)

Step 1: Understand that consecutive integers are numbers that follow one after the other. For example, if n is the first integer, the next two integers are n+1 and n+2.
Step 2: Write an equation for the sum of these three integers. The equation is n + (n + 1) + (n + 2).
Step 3: Simplify the equation. Combine like terms: n + n + 1 + n + 2 = 3n + 3.
Step 4: Set the equation equal to 72, since the problem states their sum is 72. So, we have 3n + 3 = 72.
Step 5: Solve for n. First, subtract 3 from both sides: 3n = 72 - 3, which simplifies to 3n = 69.
Step 6: Divide both sides by 3 to find n: n = 69 / 3, which gives n = 23.
Step 7: The smallest integer is n, which is 23.

Consecutive Integers – Understanding the properties of consecutive integers and how to represent them algebraically.
Algebraic Equations – Setting up and solving linear equations based on word problems.
Sum of Integers – Calculating the sum of a series of integers and applying it to find unknown values.