Word problem. Need equation and solution

Question

jessica sold have her comic books and then bought 6 more.  She now has 18 comic books.  How many comic books.  How many comic books did she begin with?  What is the equation and what is the solution?

Answer 1

Let x be the number of comic books Jessica originally had.  This is what the problem wants us to find.

 

Jessica sold half of her comic books.  "Of" usually means multiply; half is 0.50 or (50/100) or 50%.

 

She bought 6 more; she now has 18. So, the number of comic books she now has is:

   Now =   the number she started with - half the number she started with + 6 she bought

   18 = x - x/2 + 6

    18 - 6 = x/2                (subtract 6 from both sides; group x - x/2)

       12 = x/2

      24 = x                    (multiply both sides by 2)

 

Checking (very important):

  Is  24 - 24/2 + 6 = 18   ?

       24 - 12 + 6  =  18    ?

        18 = 18    ? yes