Let's name the three consecutive even numbers n, n+2, and n+4. We know that their sum will be divisible by 2 because they are all even, so we can set x = n/2, and say that x + x+1 + x+2 = 48/2 = 24. Then, we can solve for 3x + 3 = 24, 3x = 24-3 = 21, and x = 21/3 = 7.
Final answer: n/2 = 7, so n = 14, so n+4 (the greatest number) is 14+4 =
18.