Final answer:
To find the consecutive odd numbers, set up an equation by letting x be the first odd number and expressing the second odd number as x + 2. Solve the equation to find the values of x and the second odd number.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the consecutive odd numbers, we can set up an algebraic equation. Let x be the first odd number. The second consecutive odd number would then be x + 2. The sum of these two numbers is 72, so we can write the equation as:
x + (x + 2) = 72
Combine like terms:
2x + 2 = 72
Subtract 2 from both sides:
2x = 70
Divide by 2:
x = 35
Therefore, the first odd number is 35 and the second odd number is 35 + 2 = 37.