Final answer:
The inequality that represents 'the sum of a number z and 4 is less than 12' is z + 4 < 12, which simplifies to z < 8.
Step-by-step explanation:
The sum of a number z and 4 is less than 12. To represent this mathematically, we use the inequality z + 4 < 12. This means that when you add 4 to the number z, the result should be less than 12. It's important to ensure the inequality sign is pointed in the correct direction, indicating 'less than'.
To solve this inequality, we can subtract 4 from both sides to find the values of z that satisfy the inequality:
- z + 4 < 12
- z < 12 - 4
- z < 8
This tells us that any number z that is less than 8 will satisfy the inequality z + 4 < 12.