Question

three times a number, subtracted from the product of -2 and 5 times the number

Answer 1

Oftentimes in these sorts of problems you want to take the sentence itself and add some parentheses the way you understand it. For instance, I read:

(three times a number), subtracted from (the product of -2 and (5 times the number))

Answer 2

so how would i set it up

Answer 3

We can also replace words like "the number" or "Mary's age" or "some unknown" with variables like "x" or "n". In this case we can say "Let our number be 'n'", then we have:

(3 times n), subtracted from (the product of -2 and (5 times n)

Answer 4

replace words like "times" with a multiplication sign and re-arrange the sentence in order for things like "a subtracted from b" to "b - a".

Answer 5

i dont understand
i have problems understanding math

Answer 6

Do you follow how I have written the sentence?:

(3 times n), subtracted from (the product of -2 and (5 times n)

Answer 7

Oops, missing a parenthesis:

(3 times n), subtracted from (the product of -2 and (5 times n))

Answer 8

3(n)-(-2)+5(n) is that correct

Answer 9

No, slow down a bit. Let us go one step at a time from the sentence:

(3 times n), subtracted from (the product of -2 and (5 times n))

Answer 10

You are correct that (3 times n) can be replaced with "3(n)" or "3n". That is a good next step.

Answer 11

How can I simplify the phrase: "(the product of -2 and (5 times n))". Do you remember what "product" means?

Answer 12

multiply

Answer 13

Good, so can you re-phrase "(the product of -2 and (5 times n))"

Answer 14

(-2)(5n)

Answer 15

Okay, so next let's think of the phrase "three apples subtracted from ten apples", how could we write that simply?

Answer 16

10-3

Answer 17

Exactly, so "(3n), subtracted from (-2)(5n)" is...?

Answer 18

7n

Answer 19

Aha, you are one step ahead. Good job.

Answer 20

thanks

Answer 21

But, the question may be asking for you to write out the full expression:

(-2)(5n)-3n

Answer 22

thats what i did

Answer 23

(Also, we missed a negative sign, so 7n isn't actually right.)

Answer 24

-7

Answer 25

Not quite.

Answer 26

If you subtract a negative quantity from another negative quantity, you get and even more negative quantity.