Question

Explain how unwrapping a present is used as an analogy for solving an equation. How do you "unwrap" with an equation?

Answer 1

When wrapping a present, you start with the actual gift, then wrap it in paper. The receiver unwraps by doing the reverse - unwrapping the paper then being left with the actual gift.

In equations, to write one, you start with the actual value, then alter it with multiplication and addition (in this analogy, 'wrap it in paper'). Where normally, you would tackle an equation by doing the multiplication before addition and so on, to solve an equation, you do these operations in the reverse order, much like the wrapping and unwrapping of a present.