Question

The sum of two consecutive integers is one less than three times the smaller integer. Find the two integers.

Answer 1

The small number is 2.

The large number is 3.

Step-by-step explanation:

Let the two consecutive numbers be x and x+1.

• x be the small integer.
• x+1 be the large integer.

The sum of these two consecutive integers = small integer + large integer

The sum of these two consecutive integers is x+x+1 = (2x+1)

It is given that,

• The sum of two consecutive integers is one less than three times the smaller integer.
• This means that, (2x+1) is one less than three times the smaller integer.
• Here, the small integer is represented as x.

Therefore, it can determined that :

(2x+1) = 3x-1

Keeping x term on one side and constants on other side,

3x-2x = 1+1

x = 2

Therefore, the small number is 2 and the large number is x+1 = 3.