Question

How do you translate word phrases to algebraic expressions: a number squared plus two times the number less 7 is equal to zero?

Answer 1

`x^2 + 2(x-7) = 0`

Explanation:

Let's break this down.

a number: this means "any number", so we can substitute that with a variable, `x`

squared: this means squaring the number, or multiplying it by itself (written as `x^2`; `x` squared)

two times the number: we've already established the number is `x`, and two times that number would be `2x` (since we are multiplying it by two, hence "times")

the number less 7: this looks like subtraction (a number less seven would be `x - 7`

For the parts I left out, I thought they would be easy to comprehend. If you did not understand them, you will find out when I go through setting this up:

A number

`x`

squared

`x^`

plus two times the number less 7

`x^2 + 2(x-7)`

is equal to zero

`x^2 + 2(x-7) = 0`

I believe this is what you meant.