Translate into an algebraic expression: 12 less thank twice a number

Answer 1

When you read this, you can split the question up.

"A number" can be replaced with any variable, but the most common is to replace it with x.

When we see "twice a number", we can think of this as x times 2, or 2x.

The "12 less than" part can be tricky, but don't let this trip you up! This just means you take whatever is after and subtract 12. That gives you 2x-12.

Tip:

Questions like these can be tricky because of the wording. Here's a trick:

If it asks, "12 less than a number", think "a number minus 12".

If it asks, "12 less a number", think "12 minus a number".

The "than" in the question shows you where and what to subtract.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

To solve this problem, we'll let x=a number

2x is "twice a number," but you want 12 less than 2x.

Your final algebraic expression would be:

2x-12