To find the two numbers, let’s define them first. Let x be the smaller number and since one number is three times the other, we can denote the larger number as 3x.
According to the problem, the sum of these two numbers equals 36. We can set up the equation:
x + 3x = 36
Simplifying this, we get:
4x = 36
Now, we can solve for x by dividing both sides by 4:
x = 36 / 4
x = 9
This means the smaller number is 9. Now, we can find the larger number:
3x = 3 * 9 = 27
So, the two numbers are:
- Smaller number: 9
- Larger number: 27
To summarize, the two numbers that add up to 36, where one is three times the other, are 9 and 27.