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| Math Central | Quandaries & Queries |
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Question from amanda, a parent: there are three numbers that have the sum of 45.The greatest of the three numbers is 2 greater than the least number.What are the numbers?what is the formula to get the answer? |
Hi Amanda,
If the greatest of the three numbers is only 2 greater than the least number then the tree numbers are very close together. In fact the middle number can only be 1 greater than the least number.
The fact that they are so close together lets me make a quick estimate of where they are. If all three numbers were all the same and their sum was 45 then the numbers would all be 45/3 = 15. Hence I know that the three numbers are close to 15. Now can you see what they are?
Penny
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