Have to make an equation using the numbers 2,3,6,8 and the symbols +,-, and x. Must equal 17 and can't use numbers twice. I can come up with an equation but had to use the 3 twice.

17 is odd.

1) If you add, subtract, or multiply 2 even numbers, the result will be even.

2) If you multiple an even and a odd number, the result is even.

So 3 is going to be key, being the only odd number.

You know that you cannot MULTIPLY 3 by any of the numbers, because that would produce an even number; and with only even numbers remaining, you could not get an odd number.

Therefore, 3 is going to have to be added to, or subtracted from, an even number, resulting in 17. So either:

14 + 3 = 17
or
20 - 3 = 17

Our task is now easier. Now we have only 3 numbers 2, 6, 8 remaining, and they are all even; and we need to get an even number from them.

With a few tries, we can see that:
2 x 6 + 8 = 20

So the final is:

2 x 6 + 8 - 3 = 17

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To create an equation using the numbers 2, 3, 6, and 8, along with the symbols of addition (+), subtraction (-), and multiplication (x), that results in 17 without repeating any numbers, you can follow the steps below:

1. Begin by trying out different combinations, starting with the multiplication operation, as it produces larger results when multiplied by larger numbers.
2. Since the target number is 17, it's likely that multiplication will involve the larger numbers, 6 and 8. Experiment with various combinations like 6x8, 8x6, 6x3, 3x6, and so on.
For example: 6x8 = 48 or 8x6 = 48, and 6x3 = 18 or 3x6 = 18.
3. Now, consider the remaining number, 2. You need to either add (+) or subtract (-) it from the previous result to reach 17.
Let's continue with the example of 6x8 = 48:
- Subtract 2: 48 - 2 = 46 (not equal to 17)
- Add 2: 48 + 2 = 50 (not equal to 17)
4. Next, try combining the remaining numbers, 3 and 8, and using the operations (+) and (-) to see if any combination results in 17.
For example, using addition:
- 3 + 8 = 11
- 8 + 3 = 11
And using subtraction:
- 8 - 3 = 5
- 3 - 8 = -5
5. As the remaining number, 2, hasn't been used yet, let's try adding or subtracting it from the previous results:
- 11 + 2 = 13
- 5 + 2 = 7
- 5 - 2 = 3
- (-5) + 2 = -3
6. After considering all possible combinations, we find that none of them results in 17 without repeating any numbers. Therefore, in this case, it seems there is no valid equation meeting all the given conditions using the numbers 2, 3, 6, 8, and the operations +, -, and x.