document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=125145>Question 125145</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> For three consecutive odd integers, the sum of the least and the greatest is 146. What is the sum of all three integers?\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "I don't even know where to start.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Thank you for you time. </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #91742 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=bucky><B>bucky(2189)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=bucky><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=91742\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Let x represent the first odd integer. Then the next consecutive odd number has to be 2 more <BR>\n" );
document.write( "than x. This means that the next consecutive odd integer after x is x + 2. And the next consecutive<BR>\n" );
document.write( "odd integer is 2 more than x + 2. So it has to be (x + 2) + 2 = x + 4<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "[Just to help understand this concept, let's look at three consecutive odd integers.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Say we choose 27 as the first odd integer. The next consecutive odd integer is 29 and that<BR>\n" );
document.write( "is 2 more than 27. And the next consecutive odd integer is 31. This is equal to the first<BR>\n" );
document.write( "odd integer in the series (27) plus 4.]<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Now back to the problem. We have three consecutive odd integers which are x, x + 2, and x + 4.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "The problem tells you that the sum of the least (which is x) and the greatest (which is x + 4) <BR>\n" );
document.write( "is 146. In equation form this is:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "x + (x + 4) = 146<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "If we add the two terms on the left side we get 2x + 4 and the equation is then:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "2x + 4 = 146<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Get rid of the +4 on the left side by subtracting 4 from both sides to get:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "2x = 142<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Solve for x by dividing both sides by 2 to get:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "x = 142/2 = 71<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "x was defined as the first odd integer. Therefore, the next two consecutive odd integers are<BR>\n" );
document.write( "73 and 75. <BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Add the smallest odd integer (71) to the greatest odd integer (75) and you get a total of<BR>\n" );
document.write( "146 just as the problem said you should. So the answer checks.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "And you were asked to find the sum of all three. So all you have to do now is to add the three<BR>\n" );
document.write( "consecutive odd integers:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "71 + 73 + 75 = 219 <BR>\n" );
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document.write( "The answer to this problem is 219<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Hope this helps you to understand the problem and how you would do it.<BR>\n" );
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