One routine
Define, translate, solve, interpret — works for any linear word problem.
Why it works
Story → equation → x → answer.
Solving Equations · Apply · 6.4
Apply mastery.
Mixed practice translating and solving. The routine never changes: define x, build the equation, solve, and interpret the answer.
See it work.
Watch the method
Apply mastery
Translate, solve, interpret — every time.
1
The equation
Solve for x — find the value that makes both sides equal.
2
Move the constant
Subtract 5 from both sides.
3
Divide by the coefficient
Divide both sides by 4 to get x by itself.
Practice until it feels automatic.
Your turn
Solve for x.
Type the value of x — a number or a fraction like 3/2.
streak 0
best 0
…x =
The idea underneath.
From easy to tricky.
A number is multiplied by 2, then 7 is added; the result is 15. What is the number?
1
The equation
Solve for x — find the value that makes both sides equal. 2x + 7 = 15
2
Move the constant
Subtract 7 from both sides. 2x = 8
3
Divide by the coefficient
Divide both sides by 2 to get x by itself. x = 4
A number is multiplied by 4, then 5 is added; the result is 41. What is the number?
1
The equation
Solve for x — find the value that makes both sides equal. 4x + 5 = 41
2
Move the constant
Subtract 5 from both sides. 4x = 36
3
Divide by the coefficient
Divide both sides by 4 to get x by itself. x = 9
A number is multiplied by 4, then 3 is subtracted; the result is 13. What is the number?
1
The equation
Solve for x — find the value that makes both sides equal. 4x - 3 = 13
2
Move the constant
Add 3 to both sides. 4x = 16
3
Divide by the coefficient
Divide both sides by 4 to get x by itself. x = 4
Where students slip.
Trap
Rushing the setup.
Fix
A careful equation makes the solve easy.
Trap
Skipping the interpret step.
Fix
State the answer in context.
Test yourself.
The Test
12 problems across three tiers. Auto-graded on submit. Hints and a full walkthrough on every question. Your work is saved on this device — sign in to keep it across devices.
0/12Answered
How to answerType just the value. Formatting won't trip you up — we ignore spaces, capital letters, commas, and subscript style, so
t₁ = 5, d = 3 and t1=5,d=3 both count. For a list of numbers, separate them with commas (e.g. 3, 10, 17).Core
Core (4)
C1
A number is multiplied by 3, then 6 is subtracted; the result is -18. What is the number?
Need a hint?
- Translate carefully.
- Solve and interpret.
C2
A number is multiplied by 3, then 3 is subtracted; the result is -9. What is the number?
Need a hint?
- Translate carefully.
- Solve and interpret.
C3
A number is multiplied by 2, then 4 is added; the result is -4. What is the number?
Need a hint?
- Translate carefully.
- Solve and interpret.
C4
A number is multiplied by 6, then 7 is added; the result is 43. What is the number?
Need a hint?
- Translate carefully.
- Solve and interpret.
Apply
Apply (4)
A1
A number is multiplied by 6, then 1 is added; the result is 37. What is the number?
Need a hint?
- Translate carefully.
- Solve and interpret.
A2
A number is multiplied by 2, then 2 is added; the result is 10. What is the number?
Need a hint?
- Translate carefully.
- Solve and interpret.
A3
A number is multiplied by 6, then 3 is added; the result is 57. What is the number?
Need a hint?
- Translate carefully.
- Solve and interpret.
A4
A number is multiplied by 4, then 3 is added; the result is 27. What is the number?
Need a hint?
- Translate carefully.
- Solve and interpret.
Extension
Extension (4)
E1
A number is multiplied by 5, then 6 is added; the result is 51. What is the number?
Need a hint?
- Translate carefully.
- Solve and interpret.
E2
A number is multiplied by 6, then 1 is subtracted; the result is -37. What is the number?
Need a hint?
- Translate carefully.
- Solve and interpret.
E3
A number is multiplied by 3, then 2 is added; the result is 11. What is the number?
Need a hint?
- Translate carefully.
- Solve and interpret.
E4
A number is multiplied by 2, then 1 is added; the result is 13. What is the number?
Need a hint?
- Translate carefully.
- Solve and interpret.