10) The sum of three consecutive even numbers is 78. What is the smallest of these numbers?

Let's denote the three consecutive even numbers as x, x+2, and x+4. According to the problem, their sum is 78. So, we can write the equation as:<br /><br />x + (x+2) + (x+4) = 78<br /><br />Simplifying the equation, we get:<br /><br />3x + 6 = 78<br /><br />Subtracting 6 from both sides, we have:<br /><br />3x = 72<br /><br />Dividing both sides by 3, we get:<br /><br />x = 24<br /><br />Therefore, the smallest of these numbers is 24.