Final answer:
The question involves creating and solving an equation to find an unknown number. The equation is solved by isolating the variable, leading to the solution that the unknown number is 72.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question 'The quotient of a number and 3, less 8 is 16' is a mathematical problem that can be formulated into an equation. To find the number, we can set up the equation as (x / 3) - 8 = 16, where x represents the unknown number. Solving for x involves two main steps: first, we add 8 to both sides of the equation to isolate the quotient on one side, resulting in (x / 3) = 24; then, we multiply both sides by 3 to solve for x, giving us x = 72. This demonstrates that the unknown number is 72.
When dealing with mathematical operations, it's important to remember the rules of signs for multiplication and division as well as the protocol for significant figures. In this problem, however, since we are dealing with exact numbers, significant figures are not of concern.