What three numbers have an average of 74?
Part 1: Understanding the Problem
We're looking for three numbers whose average is 74. This means if we add these three numbers together and divide by 3, we should get 74.
Step-by-step Solution:
- Recall the average formula: Average = (Sum of numbers) / (Count of numbers)
- In this case: 74 = (x + y + z) / 3
- To find the sum, multiply both sides by 3: 74 * 3 = x + y + z
- So, the sum of our three numbers should be: 222
Part 2: Finding Solutions
Now, let's find multiple sets of three numbers that add up to 222.
Solution 1:
74, 74, 74
Verification:
(74 + 74 + 74) / 3 = 222 / 3 ≈ 74
This solution is correct!
Solution 2:
74, 74, 74
Verification:
(74 + 74 + 74) / 3 = 222 / 3 ≈ 74
This solution is correct!
Solution 3:
173, 10, 39
Verification:
(173 + 10 + 39) / 3 = 222 / 3 ≈ 74
This solution is correct!
Solution 4:
76, 91, 55
Verification:
(76 + 91 + 55) / 3 = 222 / 3 ≈ 74
This solution is correct!
Solution 5:
12, 51, 159
Verification:
(12 + 51 + 159) / 3 = 222 / 3 ≈ 74
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 222 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.