Real-Life Equations: Translate & Identify Variables

1. Sarah has x apples. If she buys 5 more apples, she will have 12 apples. Write an equation to represent this situation and identify the variable.

• x - 5 = 12

• x + 5 = 10

• x + 5 = 12

• x + 5 = 15

2. A book costs $x. If you buy 3 books, you spend $24. Write an equation to find the cost of one book and identify the variable.

• x = 12

• x = 8

• x = 6

• x = 10

3. Tom is x years old. In 5 years, he will be 15 years old. Write an equation to represent Tom's age now and identify the variable.

• x + 5 = 20; variable: x

• x - 5 = 10; variable: x

• x + 5 = 15; variable: x

• x + 10 = 15; variable: x

4. A rectangle has a length of 2x and a width of 3. If the perimeter is 30, write an equation to find the value of x and identify the variable.

• x = 10

• x = 6

• x = 4

• x = 8

5. The total cost of y pencils is $3. If each pencil costs $0.50, write an equation to represent this situation and identify the variable.

• y = 3, where y is the total cost of pencils.

• 0.25y = 3, where y is the number of pencils.

• 0.50y + 3 = 0, where y is the number of pencils.

• 0.50y = 3, where y is the number of pencils.

6. A car travels x miles in 2 hours. If the speed is 60 miles per hour, write an equation to find the distance traveled and identify the variable.

• x = 90 miles

• x = 120 miles

• x = 150 miles

• x = 60 miles

7. Lisa has x dollars. If she spends $10, she has $25 left. Write an equation to find how much money Lisa had initially and identify the variable.

• Lisa had $30 initially.

• Lisa had $25 initially.

• Lisa had $35 initially.

• Lisa had $40 initially.

8. A garden has x rows of flowers. If each row has 4 flowers and there are 28 flowers in total, write an equation to find the number of rows and identify the variable.

• x = 8

• x = 5

• x = 7

• x = 6

9. A movie ticket costs $x. If you buy 4 tickets for $40, write an equation to find the cost of one ticket and identify the variable.

• x = 20

• x = 15

• x = 5

• x = 10

10. A box contains x candies. If you eat 3 candies and have 7 left, write an equation to represent the situation and identify the variable.

• x - 3 = 7; variable: x

• 3 + x = 7; variable: x

• x - 7 = 3; variable: x

• x + 3 = 7; variable: x