Is it possible that the sum of 5 odd numbers is 20?

Let's work with five odd numbers. A moment's reflection of what an odd number is recalls that two will not divide the number without a remainder. And since we are working with whole numbers, the remainder of division of an odd number by 2 is 1. read more

Any odd number of odd numbers added together will always equal an odd number. 5 + 3 + 1 = 9. 11 + 7 + 3 = 21. 7 x 9 = 63. Therefore, any combination of odd numbers, using 5 numbers can never total to 20 because it is an even number. read more

Well, actually, if you look at it a little differently, the number "eleven" is made up of two odd numbers - "1" and "1" - therefore actually "Five" odd numbers (1, 3, 5, 1, 1) which add up to 20. Source(s): Just figured it out. read more

So, 50_7 = 35, and this can be written as the sum of five odd numbers, as follows: 50_7 = 35 = 3 + 5 + 7 + 9 + 11 = 3_7 + 5_7 + 10_7 + 12_7 + 14_7. Now, this does not answer the question, because we do not know the base of the number 50. However, we may be able to answer it anyway. Note that 50 = 10 + 10 + 10 + 10 + 10 in any base. read more