What 3 consecutive even numbers added together equal 42? Use the equation n + (n + 2) + (n + 4)=42?? Help please ,I really don't get this

Question

misty1212 · Answer

HI!

misty1212 · Answer

not algebra here, just try some numbers and see what works 
say $12+14+16$ does that work?

misty1212 · Answer

oops got it on the first try
if i did not, i would know whether to go up or down though

whpalmer4 · Answer

Okay, your first number is $n$.  The next even number is $n+2$, because even numbers are every other number, right?  The following even number is $n+4$.  We want our three consecutive even numbers to add to 42, so we write:
$$n+(n+2)+(n+4) = 42$$
Now we just simplify the equation and solve for the value of $n$.  That will be the first of our 3 consecutive even numbers which sum to 42.  The second one will be 2 larger, and the third one will be 2 larger than the second one.

Do you know how to simplify the equation?