document.write( "Question 494026: PLEASE HELP...IF YOU DOUBLE A NUMBER AND THEN ADD 12, YOU GET ONE HALF OF THE ORIGINAL NUMBER. WHAT IS THE ORIGINAL NUMBER? \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #335694 by bucky(2189)\"\" \"About 
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Let x be the original unknown number.
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\n" ); document.write( "Double that number means taking 2 times x which is written as 2x.
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\n" ); document.write( "Then add 12 to that and you have 2x + 12
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\n" ); document.write( "The problem tells you that this should equal 1/2 of the original number, or (1/2)x
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\n" ); document.write( "Setting these two quantities equal results in the equation:
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\n" ); document.write( "2x + 12 = (1/2)x
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\n" ); document.write( "You can get rid of the fraction on the right side by doubling both sides of this equation ... Do that by multiplying both sides (all terms) by 2 and the equation becomes:
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\n" ); document.write( "4x + 24 = x
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\n" ); document.write( "Subtract x from both sides:
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\n" ); document.write( "3x + 24 = 0
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\n" ); document.write( "Then subtract 24 from both sides:
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\n" ); document.write( "3x = -24
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\n" ); document.write( "Finally solve for x (the original number) by dividing both sides of this equation by 3 to get:
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\n" ); document.write( "x = -24/3 = -8
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\n" ); document.write( "So the answer is that the original unknown number is -8.
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\n" ); document.write( "Check it out. Double it to get -16 then add 12 to the -16 and the result is -4. This checks because it is supposed to equal half the original number which is one-half of -8. And it does.
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\n" ); document.write( "This checks the answer. The original number is -8.
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\n" ); document.write( "Hope this helps you to understand the problem.
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