A man's age (a) 10 years ago is 43.
Years ago means we subtract
a - 10 = 43
If the problem asks you to solve for a, we type this equation into our math engine and we get:
Solve for a in the equation a - 10 = 43
Step 1: Group constants:
We need to group our constants -10 and 43. To do that, we add 10 to both sides
a - 10 + 10 = 43 + 10
Step 2: Cancel 10 on the left side:
a = 53
Years ago means we subtract
a - 10 = 43
If the problem asks you to solve for a, we type this equation into our math engine and we get:
Solve for a in the equation a - 10 = 43
Step 1: Group constants:
We need to group our constants -10 and 43. To do that, we add 10 to both sides
a - 10 + 10 = 43 + 10
Step 2: Cancel 10 on the left side:
a = 53