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| Question 178261:  I think of a number halve it and subtract 1 from it. The result is double the amount obtained by dividing the number by 3 and subtracting 4 from it. Find the number ?
 Answer by EMStelley(208)
      (Show Source): 
You can put this solution on YOUR website! Ok.  Let's call the number you think of x.  Then if you halve it and subtract 1 from it, that is 
  If the result is double the amount obtained by dividing the number by 3 and subtracting 4 from it, that would be
 
  So, we have
 
  Now, I am going to distribute through the 2 on the right hand side:
 
  =(2/3)x-8}}} Now I am going to subtract x/2 from both sides:
 
  Now, add 8 to both sides:
 
  Now, we need to find a common denominator for the right hand side, which is 6.  So I will transform each question:
 
  
  Lastly, we divide both sides by (1/6), which is the same as multiplying both sides by (6/1).  So,
 
  Thus the number you thought of is 42.
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