Question

How do you write the expression for Eight less than three times a number is -23?

Answer 1

`3x-8=-23`

The question does not instruct that the value of `x` to be determined.

Explanation:

Splitting the question into its component parts:

Eight less than: `" "-> ?-8`
three times a number `" "->(3xx?)-8`
is -23:`" "->(3xx?)-8=-23`

let the unknown value be `x` giving:

`3x-8=-23`