Translate the sentence "The sum of 18 and Malik's age is 61" into an equation. Use the variable 'm' to represent Malik's age.
Understand the Problem
The question asks to translate the given sentence into a mathematical equation using the provided variable. The sentence states "The sum of 18 and Malik's age is 61," and we are instructed to use 'm' to represent Malik's age. This means we need to express the sum of 18 and 'm' equaling 61.
Answer
$18 + m = 61$
Answer for screen readers
$18 + m = 61$
Steps to Solve
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Represent Malik's age with the variable 'm'
We are given that $m$ represents Malik's age.
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Translate "the sum of 18 and Malik's age" into an expression
This translates to $18 + m$
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Translate "is 61" into an equation
This translates to $= 61$
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Combine the expressions to form the equation
Combining the previous steps, we get the equation $18 + m = 61$.
$18 + m = 61$
More Information
The equation $18 + m = 61$ represents the given statement. We can solve for $m$ to find Malik's age ($m=43$), but the question only asks for the equation, not the solution.
Tips
A common mistake is to misinterpret the wording and create an incorrect equation. For example, writing $18m = 61$ would be incorrect, as it represents 18 times Malik's age, not the sum of 18 and Malik's age. Another mistake might be flipping the numbers and writing $m + 61 = 18$, failing to correctly represent the problem statement.
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