SOLUTION: 6 subtracted from 3 times a number is 30

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Question 1188525: 6 subtracted from 3 times a number is 30
Found 4 solutions by Shin123, greenestamps, ikleyn, Alan3354:
Answer by Shin123(626) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Assuming that x is the number you are talking about, we have 3x-6=30.
This should not be that hard to solve.

Answer by greenestamps(13206) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!


Note that the statement of the problem in words is ambiguous:

(1) "6", subtracted from "3 times a number" is 30:
3x-6=30
3x=36
x=12

or

(2) "6 subtracted from 3", times "a number", is 30:
%283-6%29x=30
-3x=30
x=-10

Those are clearly two very different equations with two very different solutions.


Answer by ikleyn(52864) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
.

I do not understand, how and why these problems, which come to the forum from time to time,

receive/obtain the status of Math problems . . .


Does somebody and somewhere in real contemporary life uses this language for real communications ?


Or it is how some amateurs of the English language mock all other people ?


Reading thousands books and articles in Math, Engineering, Physics during more than 40 years,
I never saw this style of communication in use . . .


And never heard it in the everyday communication . . .


My opinion is that normal people should carefully avoid speaking this style,
if they don't want look idiots . . .



Answer by Alan3354(69443) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Eschew obfuscation.