Final answer:
To solve the inequality 12 - w ≥ 17, subtract 12 from both sides to get -w ≥ 5. Divide both sides by -1 and flip the sign to find w ≤ -5 as the solution.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question states, 'The difference of 12 and w is greater than or equal to 17?' So, we can write this as an inequality: 12 - w ≥ 17. To solve for w, we need to get rid of the 12 on the left side of the inequality. We can do this by subtracting 12 from both sides: 12 - 12 - w ≥ 17 - 12, which simplifies to -w ≥ 5. To solve for w, we need to divide both sides of the inequality by -1, but remember that when we divide or multiply an inequality by a negative number, we need to flip the sign. So, we get w ≤ -5 as the solution.