Q. A number divided by −9, decreased by 18, is −17.
Denote unknown number as n: Let's denote the unknown number as n. According to the problem, the number divided by −9 and then decreased by 18 equals −17. We can write this as an equation:−9n−18=−17
Write equation with n: To find the equation that represents this relationship, we need to isolate n. First, we'll add 18 to both sides of the equation to get rid of the −18 on the left side:−9n−18+18=−17+18
Isolate n in equation: Simplifying both sides of the equation gives us: −9n=1
Add 18 to both sides: Now, to solve for n, we'll multiply both sides of the equation by −9:(−9n)⋅−9=1⋅−9
Simplify both sides: Multiplying both sides by −9 cancels out the division by −9 on the left side, and we get: n=−9
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