Question

The variable t represents the temperature at 4 p.m. Which equation would best model the word problem below?

The temperature at the summit of Mt. Mansfield dropped 17°F between 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. The temperature at 11 p.m. was –11°F. What was the temperature at 4 p.m.?

Answer 1

So what the question is stating is that:
The temperature at 4 p.m. (t) minus 17 degrees now equals -11, which can be translated to
t - 17=-11
or you can reverse to have t isolated like so
-11 + 17 = t