Final answer:
The student is tasked with finding a number that when added to 5 gives a sum of -11. By setting up an equation and solving for the unknown, it is found that the number in question is -16.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking to solve for a number when added to 5 results in -11. To find this number, we can set up an equation where the number is represented by x. So, the equation will be x + 5 = -11. To solve for x, we need to subtract 5 from both sides of the equation, which gives us x = -11 - 5. Now, when subtracting a positive number from a negative one, we add the absolute values and give the result a negative sign.
This means x = -11 - 5 becomes x = -16. Therefore, the number that when added to 5 equals -11 is -16.