Word Problems with Linear Equations

The hardest part of word problems is turning English into algebra. Here's a translation guide: | English | Math | |---|---| | is, was, will be, equals | = | | more than, increased by, added to | + | | less than, decreased by, subtracted from | - | | times, of, product of | times | | divided by, per, ratio of | div | | a number, an unknown quantity | x | | twice a number | 2x | | 5 more than a nu…

For every word problem: 1. Define your variable: "Let x = ..." 2. Translate the problem into an equation 3. Solve the equation 4. Check that your answer makes sense in context (is it reasonable?)

Example: A plumber charges 45 for a house call plus 30 per hour of work. If the total bill was $165, how many hours did the plumber work?