The sum of two numbers is 56. the larger number is 7 less than 3 times the smaller number. Find the smaller number.
smaller number ---- x
larger number ---- 56-x
56-x = 3x - 7
solve for x
you should get
smaller = 15.75
larger = 40.25
check:
three times the larger - 7 = 3(15.75) - 7 = 40.25
which was the larger.
Well, let's call the smaller number "x". According to the information given, the larger number is 7 less than 3 times the smaller number, which means the larger number is 3x - 7. We also know that the sum of the two numbers is 56. So we can set up the equation:
x + (3x - 7) = 56
To find the value of x, let me call my number-crunching friends. [Inserts clown phone and waits] Ring-a-ling-a-ling! Let's calculate it: x + 3x - 7 = 56. Combining like terms, we have 4x - 7 = 56. Let's add 7 to both sides: 4x = 63. Now, by dividing both sides by 4, we get: x = 15.75.
Therefore, the smaller number is approximately 15.75. But you won't find that on a standard number line; maybe you'll need a clown number line for that!
Let's denote the smaller number as "x" and the larger number as "y".
From the given information, we have two equations:
Equation 1: x + y = 56 (The sum of two numbers is 56)
Equation 2: y = 3x - 7 (The larger number is 7 less than 3 times the smaller number)
Now, we can solve these equations to find the value of x.
Step 1: Substitute Equation 2 into Equation 1:
x + (3x - 7) = 56
Step 2: Simplify the equation:
4x - 7 = 56
Step 3: Add 7 to both sides:
4x = 56 + 7
4x = 63
Step 4: Divide both sides by 4:
x = 63 / 4
Step 5: Calculate the value of x:
x = 15.75
Therefore, the smaller number is 15.75.
To find the smaller number, let's set up an equation based on the given information.
Let's assume the smaller number is represented by "x".
According to the problem, the larger number is 7 less than 3 times the smaller number, which can be written as:
Larger number = 3x - 7
We know that the sum of the two numbers is 56, so we can set up the equation:
x + (3x - 7) = 56
To solve for x, we need to simplify the equation by combining like terms:
4x - 7 = 56
Next, we can isolate the variable term:
4x = 56 + 7
4x = 63
Finally, we can solve for x by dividing both sides of the equation by 4:
x = 63/4
Therefore, the smaller number is 15.75.