The difference of a number and 6 is the same as 5 times the sum of the number and 2. What is the number?
We have two expressions:
Expression 1: The difference of a number and 6
The phrase a number means an arbitrary variable, let's call it x.
The difference of a number and 6 means we subtract 6 from x:
x - 6
Expression 2: 5 times the sum of the number and 2
The phrase a number means an arbitrary variable, let's call it x.
The sum of a number and 2 means we add 2 to x:
x + 2
5 times the sum means we multiply x + 2 by 5
5(x + 2)
For the last step, we evaluate the expression is the same as
This means equal to, so we set x - 6 equal to 5(x + 2)
x - 6 = 5(x + 2)
We have two expressions:
Expression 1: The difference of a number and 6
The phrase a number means an arbitrary variable, let's call it x.
The difference of a number and 6 means we subtract 6 from x:
x - 6
Expression 2: 5 times the sum of the number and 2
The phrase a number means an arbitrary variable, let's call it x.
The sum of a number and 2 means we add 2 to x:
x + 2
5 times the sum means we multiply x + 2 by 5
5(x + 2)
For the last step, we evaluate the expression is the same as
This means equal to, so we set x - 6 equal to 5(x + 2)
x - 6 = 5(x + 2)