What three numbers have an average of 4?
Part 1: Understanding the Problem
We're looking for three numbers whose average is 4. This means if we add these three numbers together and divide by 3, we should get 4.
Step-by-step Solution:
- Recall the average formula: Average = (Sum of numbers) / (Count of numbers)
- In this case: 4 = (x + y + z) / 3
- To find the sum, multiply both sides by 3: 4 * 3 = x + y + z
- So, the sum of our three numbers should be: 12
Part 2: Finding Solutions
Now, let's find multiple sets of three numbers that add up to 12.
Solution 1:
4, 4, 4
Verification:
(4 + 4 + 4) / 3 = 12 / 3 ≈ 4
This solution is correct!
Solution 2:
4, 4, 4
Verification:
(4 + 4 + 4) / 3 = 12 / 3 ≈ 4
This solution is correct!
Solution 3:
1, 7, 4
Verification:
(1 + 7 + 4) / 3 = 12 / 3 ≈ 4
This solution is correct!
Solution 4:
2, 2, 8
Verification:
(2 + 2 + 8) / 3 = 12 / 3 ≈ 4
This solution is correct!
Solution 5:
5, 2, 5
Verification:
(5 + 2 + 5) / 3 = 12 / 3 ≈ 4
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 12 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.