If 4 times a number decreased by 2 equals 10, what is the number?

If 4 times a number decreased by 2 equals 10, what is the number?

Step 1: Let the unknown number be represented by the letter x.
Step 2: Write down the equation based on the problem: 4 times the number (4x) decreased by 2 equals 10. This gives us the equation: 4x - 2 = 10.
Step 3: To solve for x, we need to get rid of the -2. We do this by adding 2 to both sides of the equation. So, we add 2 to the left side (4x - 2 + 2) and to the right side (10 + 2). This simplifies to: 4x = 12.
Step 4: Now, we need to isolate x. Since 4x means 4 times x, we can find x by dividing both sides of the equation by 4. So, we do: 4x / 4 = 12 / 4.
Step 5: This simplifies to x = 3. Therefore, the number is 3.

Algebraic Equations – The question tests the ability to set up and solve a linear equation.
Operations with Equations – It assesses understanding of basic operations such as addition and division in the context of solving equations.