Question

The sum of two consecutive numbers is -165. Find the value of the smaller number.

Answer 1

Let's say the smaller number is x.  Then, we can represent the larger number as x + 1. The +1 means that it's both larger, because adding makes a number larger, and consecutive, because it's 1 greater or less.

Then, we can write an equation. The sum of the two numbers is x + (x + 1), and it's equal to -165.

x + (x + 1) = -165

2x + 1 = -165

2x = -166

x = -83

Since x = -83, the smaller number is -83.