The sum of three consecutive odd numbers is 117. What is the smallest of the three numbers?

The first number would be represented by x, the second as

x+2 and the third as

x+4. Together they equal 117, so x+x+2+x+4 = 117. You can sinplify that to equal 3x+6=117. You then solve for x (subtract the 6 from both sides to get 3x=111, and then divide both sides by 3 and you get x=37). The three numbers would be 37,39, and 41. The smallest is 37.