Question

The first number of three consecutive even integers equals the sum of the second and third. Find the three numbers.

If x represents the smallest integer, then which of the following equations could be used to solve the problem?


a x = 2x + 6
b x = 2x + 3
c 2x + 2 = x + 4

Answer 1

3 consecutive even integers....x , x + 2, and x + 4

the first number equals the sum of the second and third....
x = (x + 2) + (x + 4)...combine like terms
x = 2x + 6 <===

Answer 2

The three numbers are -6,-4 and -2. The equation to solve the problem is x = 2x+6.

Explanation:

If x is the smallest number, then the other two consecutive even numbers are x+2 and x+4. Now, as the first number is the sum of the second and the third we have that

x = x+2+x+4

x = 2x+6 (that is the equation that could be used to solve the problem)

x-2x = 6

-x = 6

x = -6.

Then, the three numbers are -6,-4 and -2.