What three consecutives numbers multiply to 81?

Answer 1

There are no three consecutive whole numbers which multiply to 81.

3x4x5=60

4x5x6=120

The nearest we can get to 81 by using 'consecutive' decimal numbers to 4 places of decimals is to use the sequence:

• 3.4038 x 4.4038 x 5.4038 = 81.01253

However, most people would argue that the expression 'consecutive numbers' means 'consecutive whole numbers.'

If this is so, then 'numbers' such as 3.4038 are disallowed.

But if the question should be "Which number multiplied by itself three time comes to 81? then an answer could worked out in this way ....

Use the number 3.

Multiply 3 by itself, but do this once. The answer is 9 (i.e. 3x3)

Then multiply the answer again by 3. This will be the second time you have performed the multiplication. The answer is 27 (9x3).

Then multiply by 3 a third time, and the answer will be 81 (27x3)

Even so, the usual way to calculate three multiplied by itself 3 times is to set it out like this: 3x3x3. But this gives the answer 27, which is not what we are looking for in the question!