Question

Three consecutive integers have a sum of 30. Which equation can be used to find x, the value of the smallest of the three numbers?

Answer 1

let x be the smallest value of the three, Then since the other two are consecutive, just have x+1 and x+2 as the other 2 terms.
So (x)+(x+1)+(x+2) = 30.
Solving for x will give you the value of the smallest term.