4 times a number is 36. Find the number.

Step by step

The question

Question: 4 times a number is 36.

Find the number.

1 Find what we know

What do we know?

4 times a number is 36.

What do we want?

The number.

2 Name the unknown

We don't know the number.

So we call it x.

3 Write the equation

Change the words to math, one part at a time.

So the equation is 4x = 36.

Now we solve it.

4 Remove the 4

4x means 4 times x.

We want just x.

To remove times 4, we divide by 4.

We do it on both sides, so they stay equal.

4 divided by 4 is 1.

So just x is left.

36 divided by 4 is 9.

So x = 9!

5 Answer the question

The number is 9.

6 Check

Let's check in the story.

Put 9 in the story: 4 times 9.

It makes 36, like the story says.

So the answer is right!

Let's look back.

First: find what we know.

Then: name the unknown.

Then: write the equation.

Then: solve it.

Then: answer the question.

Last: check.