Christina B. answered • 04/09/19
Experienced, Positive, and Effective Tutor with an M.Ed.
Hi Emani,
It looks like you are trying to translate the following into an algebraic equation:
Twice the difference of a number and six is equivalent to ten.
I don't want to give away the exact answer, so let's look at a similar problem.
Three times the difference of a number and seven is the equivalent to twenty.
Let's take it piece by piece.
Three times the difference of a number and seven is the equivalent to twenty.
3×
the difference of a number and seven is the equivalent to twenty. (Remember that "difference" means subtraction. If a specific number is not given, then use a variable.)
x-7
is the equivalent to twenty.
=20
So now we just need to put together all of the pieces and check to be sure that we are true to the order of operations and the meanings of the words. It should look like the following:
3(x-7)=20
I added parentheses to preserve "the difference of a number and seven," and I removed the multiplication sign because it was unnecessary.
