SOLUTION: please help me solve this question. when 3 is added to a number and the result is multiplied by 5 , you obtain one less than the number you started with .what is that number ?

Question 709406: please help me solve this question.
when 3 is added to a number and the result is multiplied by 5 , you obtain one less than the number you started with .what is that number ?

Answer by josh_jordan(263) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
To solve, we need to convert the word problem into a mathematical formula. Let's examine the first part of the sentence before the comma:

"When 3 is added to a number and the result is multiplied by 5" - In other words, (3 + x) * 5, where x represents the unknown number

"you obtain one less than the number you started with" - In other words, x - 1.

So, when we put these two parts of the sentence together, we are left with

(3 + x) * 5 = x - 1

Now, we can solve for x.

First, using the distributive property of multiplication, we can multipy the 5 by everything in the parenthesis:

5*3 + 5*x -----> 15 + 5x

We are left with

15 + 5x = x - 1

We now need to get x all by itself on one side of the equal sign, and place the numbers on the other side of the equal sign. To do so, first subtract x from both sides of the equal sign, giving us

15 + 5x - x = x - x - 1 -----> 15 + 4x = -1

Next, subtract 15 from both sides of the equation, giving us

15 - 15 + 4x = -15 - 1 -----> 4x = -16

Finally, dividing both sides of the equation by 4, will leave us with x one on side of the equal sign, and our unknown number on the other side:

-----> x = -4

Therefore, the number is -4
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