A class writes the equation n+n+1+n+2=87 to solve the following problem.

The sum of 3 consecutive odd integers is 87. Find the three integers.

What error did they make?

I don't know where to start. I'm confused, I need help!!!

Help will be greatly appreciated.

The problem is that they have written 3 consecutive numbers, not 3 consecutive ODD numbers.

If the first number is n then the next odd number is n+2, because odd numbers are two apart.

So the equation should have been

n + n+2 + m+4 = 87

Solve that one.

the first thing is to find the three numbers, one problem is the variables are all the same if you need the numbers the formula is x+(x+2)+(x+3)=87

No.

No worries, I'm here to help!

To solve this problem, start by assigning a variable to the first odd integer. Let's call it "n."

According to the problem, the sum of three consecutive odd integers is 87. So, the second odd integer would be n + 2, and the third odd integer would be n + 4.

Now, let's set up the equation correctly:

n + (n + 2) + (n + 4) = 87

Next, simplify the equation by combining like terms:

3n + 6 = 87

To isolate the variable, we subtract 6 from both sides of the equation:

3n = 81

Finally, divide both sides by 3 to solve for n:

n = 27

Now, to find the three consecutive odd integers, substitute the value of n back into the equation:

First odd integer: n = 27
Second odd integer: n + 2 = 27 + 2 = 29
Third odd integer: n + 4 = 27 + 4 = 31

Therefore, the three consecutive odd integers are 27, 29, and 31.

Now, let's see what error the class made when they wrote the equation:

The error in their equation "n + n + 1 + n + 2 = 87" is that they incorrectly added 1 to the middle integer, instead of adding 2. The correct equation should have been "n + (n + 2) + (n + 4) = 87."

I hope this explanation helps you understand how to solve the problem correctly! Let me know if you have any more questions.