Final answer:
To find the number of marbles Jim has, we set up the equation 24 = (2/3)J - 4 and solve it, resulting in Jim having 42 marbles.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks us to write an equation to find the number of marbles Jim has, given that Slim has 4 less than 2/3 of Jim's marbles, and we know Slim has 24 marbles.
Let J represent the number of marbles that Jim has. The equation we need to form, based on the information given, will relate Slim's number of marbles to Jim's.
Since Slim has 4 less than 2/3 of Jim's marbles, we can write the equation as:
24 = (2/3)J - 4
To solve for J, we would first add 4 to each side of the equation:
24 + 4 = (2/3)J - 4 + 4
28 = (2/3)J
Then multiply both sides by 3/2 to isolate J:
28 * (3/2) = J
Which simplifies to:
42 = J
Therefore, Jim has 42 marbles