The sum of three consecutive multiples of 3 is 36. The smallest of the three will be.....? answer is 9
Multiples of 3 = 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21 . . .
Which three of these numbers when added together equal 36?
9,12 and 15 make 36 from these numbers
so the three consecutive multiples of three will be 9,12 and 15
To find the smallest of the three consecutive multiples of 3, we can set up an equation.
Let's represent the smallest multiple of 3 as "x". Then, the three consecutive multiples of 3 can be written as x, x + 3, and x + 6.
According to the problem, the sum of these three numbers is 36:
x + (x + 3) + (x + 6) = 36
Now, we can simplify the equation by combining like terms:
3x + 9 = 36
To solve for x, we need to isolate it on one side of the equation. We can do this by subtracting 9 from both sides:
3x = 36 - 9
3x = 27
Finally, divide both sides of the equation by 3 to solve for x:
x = 27 / 3
x = 9
Therefore, the smallest of the three consecutive multiples of 3 is 9.