Question

The sum of three numbers is 122. The third number is 8 less than the first. The second number is 4 times the third. What are the numbers?

Answer 1

x + 4(8-x) + 8-x = 122
this is the equation

Answer 2

Ok, how do i get x?

Answer 3

what would be your first step in solving for x?

Answer 4

i dont know

Answer 5

if i give you 2x + 4 = 10, could you solve for x?

Answer 6

x=3?

Answer 7

thats correct, how did you get that answer?

Answer 8

btw x = 3 may or may not be what x equals in the other equation

Answer 9

that is just a side example

Answer 10

I see

Answer 11

but how did you get the value of x in my example?

Answer 12

10-4=6 6/2=3

Answer 13

ah very nice so you do know how to do this

Answer 14

ok so do the same thing for the other equation

Answer 15

isolate x on one side of the equation

Answer 16

first off i would eliminate all the parenthesis by distributing, can you do that and rewrite it?

Answer 17

x + 4(8-x) + 8-x = 122, distribute the middle term, and rewrite

Answer 18

lol yeah thats true, so why were u asking how to find x if you know how? lol anyways nice, now just plug x back in to each term to see what each number is

Answer 19

Ok

Answer 20

first number = x

second number = 4(8-x)

third number = 8-x