Final answer:
The product of two consecutive positive integers is 20. By setting up the equation x(x+1)=20 and knowing that 4*5=20, we find that the lesser integer is 4.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking to find the lesser of two consecutive positive integers whose product is 20. To begin solving this problem, we set up a simple equation.
Let x be the lesser integer; then the next consecutive integer is x+1. The product of these two integers is x(x+1), which equals 20. The equation is therefore x(x+1) = 20.
Now, we must find the value of x that satisfies this equation.
We know that 20 is 4 times 5, which are consecutive integers. Testing these numbers, we get 4 * 5 = 20. Therefore, the lesser integer is 4, and the next integer is 5.