Question

Write an algebraic expression for the phrase, “six less than double a number”.

Answer 1

Hint: In a question like we simply take the phrase or the statement and word by word simplify that into a mathematical expression. While doing so we shall get a better understanding of it and we shall never be confused by the ambiguous set of words if there is any.

Complete step by step answer:
Firstly, we write down the phrase which is given in the question i.e. “Six less than double a number.”
Now we break it up to simplify and get something mathematical out of it. Here we break it into two parts like this:
“Six less than” – This means 6 is less than…. whatever is given after this statement we have to subtract 6 from it.
“…double a number.” – This means twice of a number. So we have to take a number and multiply it by 2 to write it mathematically.
So we let a number be – ‘ $ N $ ‘. Now we multiply it by two to get – ‘ $ 2N $ ’
Our second part has been translated into a mathematical expression now to convert the whole statement we combined the two and subtract $ 6 $ from $ 2N $ and we get
$\Rightarrow$ $ 2N - 6 $ As the algebraic expression where number $ N $ is an arbitrary number.

Note:
In real life, problems are not present in mathematical terms so we have to translate and simplify these in mathematical language to understand the phenomenon and reach a result A Statement translation into mathematical expressions is the heart and soul of problem-solving in mathematics.