A three-digit number has a hundreds digit that is 2 greater than the tens digit, and the units digit is 2 less than the tens digit. If the sum of all three digits equals 18, what is the number?

Explanation

Let the digits be represented as a (hundreds), b (tens), and c (units). Given: a = b + 2 and c = b - 2. The sum a + b + c = 18. Substituting, (b + 2) + b + (b - 2) = 18 simplifies to 3b = 18, so b = 6. Therefore, a = 8 and c = 4, making the number 864, which is not listed among the options.