Question

Evaluate the expression described below if the variable given is 9.

Two times the difference of one-third of a number and three.

Answer 1

Two times = 2 * _________
Difference of = ____ - and ____
0ne-third of a number = (1/3)n

This is just the clarify what each part of the sentence is telling me. In the first line, I have 2* ______. Well, the blank is the difference of 1/3of a number and 3. So I can start by writing it like this

2(difference of 1/3 number and 3)

The second line shows that we have two blanks with a minus in between them. The first part is one-third of a number, which is (1/3)n. Because the phrase says and 3, I replace the and in the second line with 3. So the whole second line I can write as:
\[\frac{ 1 }{ 3 }n - 3\]
So this result I can multiply by 2

Kind of hard to explain word problems, so definitely ask xD
2(difference of 1/3 number and 3) =
\[2(\frac{ 1 }{ 3 }n - 3)\]
\[\frac{ 2n }{ 3 }-6\]
Now it says the variable is equal to 9, so:
\[\frac{ (2)(9) }{ 3 }-6\]
\[\frac{ 18 }{ 3 }-6 \]
\[6-6= 0\]

Answer 2

thx