I am helping my child with this.

Can you show me how to Solve word problems by writing an equation with a variable to represent the given information and then solve the equatin.

Of course! Solving word problems by writing an equation with a variable is a great way to approach them. Here's a step-by-step process to help solve these types of problems:

Step 1: Read the problem carefully and identify the information given. Make sure to understand what you are trying to find.

Step 2: Choose a variable to represent the unknown quantity. This variable should be relevant to the problem. For example, if you are trying to find the number of apples, you might assign the variable 'a' to represent that.

Step 3: Write an equation that represents the given information in terms of the variable. Use the information from the problem to set up the equation. For example, if you are told that "John has three more apples than Peter," and you assigned 'a' to represent the number of apples Peter has, then you would write the equation: "a + 3 = total number of apples."

Step 4: Solve the equation. Begin by simplifying both sides of the equation. Combine like terms and isolate the variable on one side of the equation. For example, if your equation is 'a + 3 = 10,' subtracting 3 from both sides will give you 'a = 7.'

Step 5: Check the solution. Substitute the value you found in the equation to verify if it satisfies all the given conditions stated in the word problem. In this case, substituting a = 7 back into the equation 'a + 3 = 10' would give you '7 + 3 = 10,' which is true.

Following these steps will help you solve word problems by writing equations with variables and then solving them. It's a useful strategy to apply in various mathematical scenarios.