<PRE><B>Question 1046868</B>
 Alberto bought 9 posters. A week later half of all his posters were destroyed in a fire. there are now only 17 posters left. With how many did he start? 
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start:: x
after buying 9:: x+9
after losing half:: (x+9)/2
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Equation:
(x+9)/2 = 17
x+9 = 34
x = 25 (# he started with)
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Cheers,
Stan H.
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