The sum of three numbers is 52. The third number is 2 times the first. The second number is 8 less than the first. What are the numbers?
System of equations, seriously, it helps.
Let the 3 numbers be x, y, and z. We know:
x + y + z = 52
2z = x
x - 8 = y
What do we see? Well, we can rewrite everything in terms of x:
x = x (obviously)
z = x/2
y = x - 8
x + x - 8 + x/2 = 52
2x - 8 + x/2 = 52
5x - 16 = 104
5x = 120
x = 24
Knowing that x = 24, we see:
x = 24
z = 12
y = 32
:)