twelve less than the one-fifth if a number is -7

Answer 1

Let's make our number X.

Now we translate the problem into mathspeak:

12 less than 1/5 of X equals -7

As a real equation:

1/5X - 12 = -7 -or- X/5 - 12= -7

Then we just have to solve:

X/5 - 12= -7

X/5 = 5

X = 25