Thirty two is the sum of a number and fifty one. What is the number?

2 Answers
Mar 6, 2018

The number is -19.

Explanation:

Let's call the unknown number x and set up an equation:
x+51 =32.

To solve for x, we want to get it alone. In this case, that means subtracting 51 from both sides:
x = -19

To check this, we go back to what we know: the sum is the result of addition, and if we add -19 + 51, we do indeed get 32.

Mar 6, 2018

The number is -19.

Explanation:

Translate the sentence from English to math. For example, "is" means equals and "sum" means adding together numbers.

stackrel(32) overbrace("Thirty two") " " stackrel(=) overbrace("is") " " stackrel(x+51) overbrace("the sum of a number and fifty one") "."

Now, write down the equation and solve for x:

32=x+51

32color(blue)-color(blue)51=x+51color(blue)-color(blue)51

32color(blue)-color(blue)51=xcolor(red)cancel(color(black)+color(black)51color(blue)-color(blue)51)

32-51=x

-19=x

That's the number!