If two consecutive integers sum to 55, what is their average?

If two consecutive integers sum to 55, what is their average?

• A. 28
• B. 27.5
• C. 27
• D. 55

Answer: (B)

Think about what an average represents: the middle value between two numbers is the sum divided by how many numbers there are. For two numbers, the average is half the sum. Here the two consecutive integers add to 55, so the average is 55 ÷ 2 = 27.5. You can also check by identifying the actual numbers: they must be 27 and 28, and their average is (27 + 28)/2 = 55/2 = 27.5.

Think about what an average represents: the middle value between two numbers is the sum divided by how many numbers there are. For two numbers, the average is half the sum. Here the two consecutive integers add to 55, so the average is 55 ÷ 2 = 27.5. You can also check by identifying the actual numbers: they must be 27 and 28, and their average is (27 + 28)/2 = 55/2 = 27.5.