Consecutive Integer Word Problems

The problem is shown again below for reference.

Two consecutive numbers have a sum of 91. What are the numbers?

To begin solving this problem, define the variable. You do not know what the first consecutive number is, so you can call it x.

Let x = The First Consecutive Number

Since the numbers are consecutive, meaning one number comes right after the other, the second number must be one more than the first. So, x + 1 equals the second number.

Let x + 1 = The Second Consecutive Number

The problem says that the sum of the two numbers is 91. This can be shown in the equation like the following:

x + (x + 1) = 91

The equation which you just wrote can be solved as follows:

Initial Equation	x + (x + 1)	=	91
After combining like terms	2x + 1	=	91
After subtracting 1 from each side	2x	=	90
After dividing each side by 2	x	=	45

Go on to the next page to learn how to use this to find the answer.