The sum of three consecutive even numbers is seventy-two.What is the smallest of the three numbers?
an even number is 2x, the next one is 2(x + 1) and the final one is 2(x + 2).
2x + 2(x + 1) + 2(x+2) = 72
2x + 2x + 2 + 2x + 4 = 72
6x + 6 = 72
6x = 66
x = 11
first number is 22 (smallest)
22 + 24 + 26 = 72 check that is correct