Four consecutive even integers add up to 292. What is the smallest of these numbers?

Explanation

Let the four consecutive even numbers be represented as 2(x - 2), 2(x - 1), 2x, and 2(x + 1). Their total sum is 2(x - 2) + 2(x - 1) + 2x + 2(x + 1) = 8x - 4. Setting this equal to 292 gives 8x - 4 = 292, which simplifies to x = 37. Therefore, the smallest number is 2(x - 2) = 2(37 - 2) = 70.