Let's denote the first number as 'x'. Since we are dealing with 8 consecutive natural numbers, the numbers can be represented as:
x, x+1, x+2, x+3, x+4, x+5, x+6, x+7
The sum of these numbers is given as 140:
x + (x+1) + (x+2) + (x+3) + (x+4) + (x+5) + (x+6) + (x+7) = 140
Combine like terms:
8x + 28 = 140
Subtract 28 from both sides:
8x = 112
Divide by 8:
x = 14
So, the first number is:
14
