Practice Writing Equations from Context in Math

Use these practice problems to test your method after reviewing the concept explanation and worked examples.

Quick Recap

Translating real-world situations and word problems into algebraic equations by identifying the unknown, choosing a variable, and expressing relationships mathematically.

Word problems are stories in disguise. Your job is to find the main character (the unknown—call it x), figure out what's happening to it (the operations), and write down the punchline (the equation). 'Five more than twice a number is 17' becomes 2x + 5 = 17.

Example 1

easy
Write an equation: 'Three times a number decreased by 4 is 17.'

Example 2

medium
A plumber charges \50 for a visit plus \30 per hour. If the bill was \$170, how many hours did the job take?

Example 3

easy
Write an equation: 'Half of a number plus 6 equals 10.'

Example 4

hard
The perimeter of a rectangle is 34 cm. The length is 5 cm more than the width. Find the dimensions.
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