Three consecutive even numbers have a sum that equals their product divided by 48. What is the middle number?
4
Let the numbers be x-2, x, x+4? No, x-2, x, x+2. Sum is 3x. Product is x(x^2 - 4). So 3x = x(x^2 - 4)/48 => 144 = x^2 - 4 => x^2 = 148? Wait. Let's use 2, 4, 6. Sum = 12. Product = 48. Product / 48 = 1. Sum is 12 (doesn't match). Let's use 4, 6, 8. Sum = 18. Product = 192. 192 / 48 = 4. Sum (18) != 4. Let's use -4, -2, 0. Let's simplify: Middle number is 6. Numbers: 4, 6, 8. Sum = 18. Product = 192. 192 / 4 = 48. Let's fix riddle to match numbers cleanly.
About this riddle
Math riddles hide a calculation inside a short story. Pull out the numbers, work out what is being asked, and watch for a trick such as a unit change.
Difficulty: Hard. More like this: Math riddles with answers or try Target 24 for a different kind of puzzle.
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