document.write( "Question 997910: please help me solve.three times the sum of -4 and a number yields the difference between 20 and 5 times the number. \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #615841 by Theo(13342)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
x is the number.
\n" ); document.write( "3 * (-4 + x) = 20 - 5x
\n" ); document.write( "simplify to get -12 + 3x = 20 - 5x
\n" ); document.write( "add 12 to both sides and add 5x to both sides to get:
\n" ); document.write( "3x + 5x = 20 + 12
\n" ); document.write( "combine like terms to get 8x = 32
\n" ); document.write( "divide both sides by 8 to get x = 4\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "the following article talks about translating key words into algebraic statements that should be helpful.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "http://www.purplemath.com/modules/translat.htm\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "be sure to look at both pages, since the second page has examples of how to do the translations.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "the order of the operations is important.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "in this problem it didn't matter since both sides of the equation became 0.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "that doesn't happen all the time, so make sure you translate the words into the equation in the right order.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" );