Question

What's the answer for the sum of three consecutive numbers is 126. What is the smallest of the three numbers

Answer 1

126 divided into 3 equal parts is 42 in each part.
Lay the parts out in a row on the table.
Take 1 away from one part, and drop it onto a different part.
Now you have your 3 consecutive numbers, made from the 3 equal parts of 126.
They are 41, 42, and 43 .

Answer 2

To solve this problem, start with the smallest and call it n. The next three numbers are n+1 and n+2, so the sum of these numbers is:

n +(n+1) + (n+2) = 126.

This equation reduces to:
3n+3 = 126 subtracting 3 from either side makes it

3n = 123 and dividing either side by 3 means

n = 41

The smallest is 41 so the largest is 43