How would I set up an equation to solve for three consecutive odd numbers that have a sum of 9
the equation would be
x + (x + 1) + (x + 2) = 9
3x + 3 = 9
3x = 6
x = 2
so the numbers are 2, 3, and 4
if it has to be only odd numbers then you would do it like:
x + (x + 2) + (x + 4) = 9
3x + 6 = 9
3x = 3
x = 1
and the numbers would be 1, 3, and 5
To set up an equation, we need to represent three consecutive odd numbers and their sum. Let's start by assigning a variable to one of the numbers.
Let "x" represent the first odd number. Since we are looking for three consecutive odd numbers, the next two consecutive odd numbers can be represented as "x + 2" and "x + 4".
We know that the sum of these three numbers is 9. Therefore, we can set up the equation:
x + (x + 2) + (x + 4) = 9
To solve this equation, we simplify and combine like terms:
3x + 6 = 9
Then, we isolate the variable "x" by subtracting 6 from both sides:
3x = 3
Divide both sides of the equation by 3:
x = 1
So, the first odd number is 1.
To find the next two consecutive odd numbers, we substitute the value of "x" into our original representation:
x + 2 = 1 + 2 = 3
x + 4 = 1 + 4 = 5
Therefore, the three consecutive odd numbers that have a sum of 9 are 1, 3, and 5.