Word problem - let statement

Question

The larger of two numbers is five more than four times the smaller number. Six times the smaller number, decreased by the larger number is 37. Find the larger number.

Answer 1

Hi Jennifer. Let’s identify the smaller number first. We’ll do one sentence at a time.

Using the first sentence of the problem, let’s call x the smaller number. The larger number is 4x + 5.

Now using the second sentence, we get 6x - (4x + 5) = 37.

That gives us 2x - 5 = 37. (Remember that minus in front of the parenthesis makes it a minus 5).

Moving the 5 to the right, we get 2x = 42. Dividing both sides by 2, we get x = 21, the answer.

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