SOLUTION: Find three consecutive odd integers for which three times the smallest is 15 less than the sum of the other two.

Click here to see ALL problems on Finance

Question 281617: Find three consecutive odd integers for which three times the smallest is 15 less than the sum of the other two.
Found 3 solutions by JBarnum, Mathematicians, College Student:
Answer by JBarnum(2146)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
3 consecutive odd integers are
x,x+2,x+4 "Find three consecutive odd integers "
"three times the smallest is 15 less than the sum of the other two."

Answer by Mathematicians(84)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Here is your question, we need to translate it into equations:
"Find three consecutive odd integers for which three times the smallest is 15 less than the sum of the other two."
let x = smallest odd integer
then x + 2 = next odd integer
then x + 4 = second to next odd integer

The above equation says 3 times the smallest is equal to the sum of the other two less than 15.
combine like terms
solving for x
which is true because 3 times -9 is -27 which is 15 less than -12 which is the sum of -7 and -5

Answer by College Student(505)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
To find three odd consecutive integers, we can plot them as follows:

x = first integer
x+2 = odd consecutive integer
x+4 = next odd consecutive integer

Now, let's substitute these values according to the problem and solve for "x" to find the first integer.

If three times the smallest is 15 less than the sum of the other two...
* Three times the smallest would equal to 3x.
* The word "is" means =.
* The sum of the other two would be (x+2) plus (x+4).
Therefore:

Now solve for x:

I'll let you find the other two odd consecutive integers.
You can check its validity by substituting the x for -9 in the original equation. Both sides of the equation must equal to each other to be true.

... it checks!