If 12 is subtracted from three times a number the result is equal to two-thirds of the number plus 16.What is the number
I wish I could tell you.
3n - 12 = (2/3)n + 16
2 1/3n = 28
n = 12
Why can't you tell me
To solve this problem, we can break it down into steps:
Step 1: Let's assume the number is represented by "x".
Step 2: Three times the number can be represented as 3*x.
Step 3: We are told that if 12 is subtracted from three times the number, it is equal to two-thirds of the number plus 16. This can be expressed as the equation: 3*x - 12 = (2/3)*x + 16.
Step 4: We can now solve this equation to find the value of x.
To simplify the equation, we can multiply both sides by 3 to eliminate the fraction:
3*(3*x - 12) = 3*((2/3)*x + 16)
9*x - 36 = 2*x + 48
Step 5: Next, let's combine like terms by subtracting 2*x from both sides and adding 36 to both sides:
9*x - 2*x = 48 + 36
7*x = 84
Step 6: To isolate x, we can divide both sides of the equation by 7:
(7*x)/7 = 84/7
x = 12
Therefore, the number is 12.