What is the number expressed by forty-eight decreased by a number is the same as the difference of four times the number and seven?

1 Answer
Jul 1, 2018

#11#

Explanation:

To turn this into an equation, here are some tips:

  1. "Decreased by" means subtraction
  2. "Is" means equals
  3. "Difference" means a subtraction of two things
  4. Give things you don't know a variable. Since they are talking about a "number", I will use the variable #n#

#stackrel(48)overbrace"48"color(white)"x" stackrel(-)overbrace"decreased" color(white)"x"stackrel(n)overbrace"by a number"color(white)"x" stackrel(=)overbrace"is the same as"color(white)"x" stackrel(4n - 7)overbrace"the difference of four time the number and seven"#

#48 - n = 4n - 7#

Now solve the problem by isolating #n# to one side:

#48 - n = 4n - 7#

#48 = 5n - 7#

#55 = 5n#

#11 = n#

The number is #11#.