The sum of three consecutive numbers is 357357.a.Use an equation to find the smallest of the three numbers.

Let's denote the smallest of the three consecutive numbers as x. Because the numbers are consecutive, the other two numbers can be represented as x + 1 and x + 2.

According to the problem, the sum of these three numbers is 357357. So, we can set up the following equation:

x + (x + 1) + (x + 2) = 357357

Solving this equation will give us the value of x, which is the smallest of the three numbers.

First, simplify the left side of the equation:

3x + 3 = 357357

Then, subtract 3 from both sides of the equation:

3x = 357357 - 3 3x = 357354

Finally, divide both sides of the equation by 3 to solve for x:

x = 357354 / 3 x = 119118

So, the smallest of the three consecutive numbers is 119118.