Question #36b7c

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Answer 1 · 2017-12-05T06:09:53

The number, #x#, is equal to #-2#.

Let’s break it down.

“Three times the sum of five times a number . . .”

So we’re multiplying #3# by #5# multiplied by a number, which we’ll call #x\implies3(5x)#

“ . . . and #4#”

#5x# is being added to #4#, which we can represent as #3(5x+4)#.

“ . . . is #-18#.”

That means the above expression equals #-18#:

#3(5x+4)=-18#

Now simply solve for #x# by distributing the #3#:

#\implies 15x+12=-18#

Subtracting #12# from both sides:

#\implies 15x=-30#

Divide both sides by #15#:

#x=-2#