2002 AMC 8 Problems/Problem 3

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Problem 3

What is the smallest possible average of four distinct positive even integers?

$\text{(A)}\ 3 \qquad \text{(B)}\ 4 \qquad \text{(C)}\ 5 \qquad \text{(D)}\ 6 \qquad \text{(E)}\ 7$


Solution

In order to get the smallest possible average, we want the 4 even numbers to be as small as possible. The first 4 positive even numbers are 2, 4, 6, and 8. Their average is $\frac{2+4+6+8}{4}=\boxed{5}$.