Question

Translate the following into a math expression:

twenty less than the product of five and a number

A: (x+5) - 20

B: 20-5x

C: 5x-20

D: 5/x - 20

Answer 1

`5x - 20`

Explanation:

Product means the result of the multiplication of two numbers. A part of our expression will include the product of five and a number. We don't know what number it is, therefore, we'll call it
`x`. The product of those two numbers can be algebraically expressed as
`5x` (we usually eliminate the multiplication sign between numbers and variables).

We are then asked to express the number that is 20 less than the product we found earlier. To find this expression, we should subtract 20 from the product, giving us
`5x - 20`.