Answer:
28
Explanation:
Let n represent the number.
Twice the sum of the number and 2 is ...
2(n +2)
Three times the difference of the number and 8 is ...
3(n -8)
The problem statement tells us these quantities are equal, so ...
2(n +2) = 3(n -8) . . . . the given quantities are equal
2n +4 = 3n -24 . . . . . use the distributive property to eliminate parentheses
2n +28 = 3n . . . . . . . add 24
28 = n . . . . . . . . . . . . subtract 2n
The number is 28.
_____
Check
The sum of the number and 2 is 30; twice that is 60.
The difference of the number and 8 is 20; three times that is 60--the same number.