Final answer:
To solve the equation, -2x + 30 = 12, subtract 30 from both sides and divide by -2 to solve for x. The solution is x = 9.
Step-by-step explanation:
To solve the equation, we need to translate the given sentence into an algebraic equation. The sentence states that the product of a number and -2, when added to 30, equals 12. So, we can write the equation as -2x + 30 = 12, where x represents the unknown number. To solve for x, we need to isolate it on one side of the equation.
First, we can subtract 30 from both sides to get -2x = -18. Next, we can divide both sides by -2 to solve for x, which gives us x = 9. Therefore, the solution to the equation is x = 9.