translate this sentence into an equation rita's score decreased by 16 is 61

s - 16 = 61

To translate the sentence "Rita's score decreased by 16 is 61" into an equation, we can represent Rita's original score as 'x'.

We know that Rita's score decreased by 16, so we subtract 16 from her original score 'x'. This gives us 'x - 16'.

According to the sentence, Rita's decreased score is 61. Therefore, we have the equation:

x - 16 = 61

To find the value of 'x', we need to isolate the variable. We can do this by adding 16 to both sides of the equation:

x - 16 + 16 = 61 + 16

Simplifying further:

x = 77

Hence, Rita's original score was 77.