Even numbers are numbers that are divisible by two. Let’s suppose we pick an even number and call it “n”. We don’t know what the number itself is, but we know that it’s even.
The next consecutive even number is the very next even number in the sequence; this can be determined by adding two to the first even number. That means that the next consecutive even number after “n” is “n+2”. The same thing holds for the following even number, except this time it’s “n+2+2” or “n+4”.
We are told that the sum of these three consecutive even numbers is 138. If we write this in the form of an equation, we have:
138 = n + (n+2) + (n+4)
Now, simplify and solve for n:
138 = 3n + 6; 132 = 3n; n = 44.
The first even number is 44, and the two following are 46 (44 + 2) and 48 (44 + 4).
Hope this helps!
