consecutive integers

Question

The sum of four consecutive integers is 354. What is the second number in this sequence?

Answer 1

Let x = "the second number in this sequence"    [so you don't forget to solve for x later]

 

"sum of four consecutive integers is 354"   means

    (x-1) + x + (x+1) + (x+2) = 354

       4x + 2 = 354

          4x = 352

           x = 88

"What is the second number in this sequence?"   The second number is 88,

Answer 2

x, x+1, x+2, and x+3 are the numbers

x+x+1+x+2+x+3=354

4x+6=354

4x=354-6

4x=348

x=348/4

x=87

87,88,89, and 90 are the numbers

88 is the second number

without using algebra...

354/4=88.5

88.5 is the mean of the four numbers

88.5 is between 88 and 89

therefore the numbers are 88-1=87, 89+1=90, and 88 and 89

87, 88, 89, and 90