What three numbers have an average of 36?
Part 1: Understanding the Problem
We're looking for three numbers whose average is 36. This means if we add these three numbers together and divide by 3, we should get 36.
Step-by-step Solution:
- Recall the average formula: Average = (Sum of numbers) / (Count of numbers)
- In this case: 36 = (x + y + z) / 3
- To find the sum, multiply both sides by 3: 36 * 3 = x + y + z
- So, the sum of our three numbers should be: 108
Part 2: Finding Solutions
Now, let's find multiple sets of three numbers that add up to 108.
Solution 1:
36, 36, 36
Verification:
(36 + 36 + 36) / 3 = 108 / 3 ≈ 36
This solution is correct!
Solution 2:
36, 36, 36
Verification:
(36 + 36 + 36) / 3 = 108 / 3 ≈ 36
This solution is correct!
Solution 3:
89, 4, 15
Verification:
(89 + 4 + 15) / 3 = 108 / 3 ≈ 36
This solution is correct!
Solution 4:
12, 25, 71
Verification:
(12 + 25 + 71) / 3 = 108 / 3 ≈ 36
This solution is correct!
Solution 5:
55, 44, 9
Verification:
(55 + 44 + 9) / 3 = 108 / 3 ≈ 36
This solution is correct!
Explanation:
As you can see, there are many possible solutions. We can find more by:
- Choosing any two numbers
- Subtracting their sum from 108 to get the third number
Remember:
- The numbers don't have to be whole numbers.
- They can even be negative (although that might not make sense in some real-world contexts).
- The order of the numbers doesn't matter for the average.