The sum of four consecutive integers is - 18. What is the greatest of these

integers?

D

Question 3

-3

The problem:

The sum of four consecutive integers is - 18. What is the greatest of these

integers?

Step-by-step explanation:

If n is the first integer, then n+1 is the second integer, n+2 is the third integer, and n+3 is the fourth integer in consecutive order.

For example if n=8, we are saying n+1=9, n+2=10, and n+3=11, which I think you can see that 8,9,10,11 are consecutive.

So the sum is - 18 which means:

n + (n+1) + (n+2) + (n+3) = -18

4n+6=-18

Subtract 6 on both sides:

4n=-18-6

Simplify:

4n=-24

Divide both sides by 4:

n=-6

If n=-6,

then:

n+1=-6+1=-5

n+2=-6+2=-4

n+3=-6+3=-3.

So the 4 consecutive integers whose sum is - 18 is: - 6,-5,-4, and - 3.

The greatest of these integers is - 3.