Students were asked to find three consecutive whole numbers whose sum is 393. John wrote the equation

(x - 1) + x + (x + 1) = 3. Kim said that John is incorrect, and that the correct answer should be

x + (x +1) + (x + 2) = 393. is this correct

yes. The sum of the numbers is 393

To find three consecutive whole numbers whose sum is 393, we can follow a step-by-step process.

Step 1: Define the unknown. Let's assume the first number is x.

Step 2: Define the consecutive numbers. Since we want three consecutive numbers, the second number would be (x + 1) and the third number (x + 2).

Step 3: Set up the equation. The sum of the three consecutive numbers should be equal to 393. So, the equation should be x + (x + 1) + (x + 2) = 393.

Step 4: Solve the equation. Combine like terms: x + x + 1 + x + 2 = 393. Simplify further: 3x + 3 = 393. Subtract 3 from both sides: 3x = 390. Divide both sides by 3: x = 130.

Step 5: Check the answer. The three consecutive whole numbers are 130, 131, and 132. Their sum is indeed 393.

Therefore, Kim is correct in setting up the equation as x + (x + 1) + (x + 2) = 393.