Find three consecutive integers that have a sum of -402. Describe your strategy.

-402/3 = -134

-133 + -134 + -135 = -402

The sum of four consecutive integers is 402. Find the integers

To find three consecutive integers that have a sum of -402, we can use the following strategy:

Step 1: Define the variables: Let's assume the first integer is x. The three consecutive integers, therefore, would be x, x+1, and x+2.

Step 2: Set up the equation: The sum of these three integers can be expressed as x + (x+1) + (x+2).

Step 3: Simplify the equation: Combine like terms to simplify the equation to 3x + 3.

Step 4: Set up the equation with the given sum: We are given that the sum of these three integers is -402. Therefore, the equation becomes 3x + 3 = -402.

Step 5: Solve the equation: Subtract 3 from both sides of the equation to isolate the variable: 3x = -405. Then, divide both sides by 3 to solve for x: x = -405/3 = -135.

Step 6: Find the consecutive integers: Now that we know the first integer (x) is -135, we can find the next two consecutive integers by adding 1 and 2 to x. Therefore, the three consecutive integers that have a sum of -402 are -135, -134, and -133.

To find three consecutive integers with a sum of -402, you can approach this problem by setting up an equation.

Let's assume the first integer is represented by n. Since we are looking for three consecutive integers, the second integer would be n + 1, and the third integer would be n + 2.

Now, we can write an equation to represent the sum of these three integers:

n + (n + 1) + (n + 2) = -402

Simplifying the equation, we have:

3n + 3 = -402

Now, we can solve this equation to find the value of n.

To do that, we will isolate the variable n on one side of the equation:

3n = -402 - 3
3n = -405

Finally, divide both sides of the equation by 3:

n = -405 / 3
n = -135

So, the first integer (n) is -135. The second integer would be -135 + 1, which is -134, and the third integer would be -135 + 2, which is -133.

Therefore, the three consecutive integers that have a sum of -402 are -135, -134, and -133.