Alex has a total of 16 shirts. There are 9 shirts in the closet and s shirts in the laundry basket.

Question

write an equation with a variable and solve it

Answer 1

I think this way makes more sense but there is a second equation below.

 

total shirts - shirts laundry = shirts left in closet

 

16 - s = 9

 

subtract 16 from each side

 

-s = -7

 

s = 7

 

If you would like to avoid the negatives, set it up as:

 

16 - 9 = s

 

7 = s