Answer:
36
Step-by-step explanation:
Let's let n be any number.
If we multiply n by 2, we get 2n. Since anything multiplied by 2 is even, 2n <em>must</em> be even. Therefore, let 2n be our first number.
So, the consecutive even number will be (2n+2) followed by (2n+4).
We know that their sum must be 114. Therefore, we can write the following equation:
Solve for n. Combine like terms on the left:
Subtract 6 from both sides:
Finally, divide both sides by 6. Therefore, the value of n is:
Therefore, our first even number is 2n or 2(18) which equates to 36.
And the consecutive even numbers will be 38 and 40.
So, the smallest of them, the first term, is 36.