If the sum of three consecutive odd numbers is 39, what is the smallest of these numbers?

To solve for the smallest of three consecutive odd numbers that sum up to 39, start by defining the numbers algebraically. If we denote the smallest of these three consecutive odd numbers as ( x ), then the next two odd numbers can be expressed as ( x + 2 ) and ( x + 4 ).

The equation representing the sum of these three numbers will be:

[ x + (x + 2) + (x + 4) = 39 ]

Simplifying this gives you:

[ 3x + 6 = 39 ]

Next, subtract 6 from both sides:

[ 3x = 33 ]

Now, divide both sides by 3:

[ x = 11 ]

Therefore, the smallest of the three consecutive odd numbers is 11, confirming that the sum of 11, 13, and 15 equals 39. This is consistent with the properties of consecutive odd numbers, demonstrating that they increment by 2 and seamlessly create odd sequences.

In this case, 11 is indeed the smallest number, while the other options (13, 15, and 17) represent values greater than the smallest number identified in the sequence, thus not fitting the