SOLUTION: Three times a number is the same as four less than the number, find the number

Question 495794: Three times a number is the same as four less than the number, find the number
Found 2 solutions by kingme18, lmeeks54:
Answer by kingme18(98) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Let's call "the number" x.

Three times a number is the same as four less than the number.
To take this apart:
Three times a number ()
is the same as (=)
four less than the number . This is the tricky part. A lot of people want to do because they see 4 first in the problem. The key is the word "than". It tells you to switch the order. 4 less THAN x means .

So we have . To solve:
Subtract x on both sides:
Divide by 2 on both sides:
Our number should be -2.

Let's check:
Three times a number is the same as four less than the number
and . I get -6 from both, and -6 is the same as -6, so it checks. Our number is, indeed, -2.
Answer by lmeeks54(111) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
This is pretty straightforward. Create the equality from the words:
...
3X = X - 4
...
Solve for X by grouping all the "X" terms on one side. Do that by subtracting X from both sides:
...
2X = -4
...
Divide by sides by 2 so we end with just the X term by itself:
X = -2
...
check your work:
3(-2) = -2 -4
...
-6 = -6
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