Answer: To translate the given sentence into an equation, we can start by replacing the words "five times the sum" with the mathematical expression "5(x + 9)". Then, we can replace the word "number" with the variable y, to get:
5(y + 9) = 3
Next, we can distribute the 5 to obtain:
5y + 45 = 3
Finally, we can subtract 45 from both sides to solve for y:
5y = -42
y = -42/5
y = -8.4
Therefore, the equation that represents the given sentence is y = -8.4.
Explanation: