Zalika thinks of a number. She subtracts 6 then multiplies the result by 5. The answer is the same a

Zalika thinks of a number. She subtracts 6 then multiplies the result by 5. The answer is the same as subtracting 5 from the number then multiplying by 4.

The phrase a number means an arbitrary variable, let's call it x. We're given two expressions in relation to this number (x):

She subtracts 6 then multiplies the result by 5

• Subtract 6: x - 6
• Multiply the result by 5: 5(x - 6)

She subtracts 5 from the number then multiplying by 4

• Subtract 6: x - 5
• Multiply the result by 5: 4(x - 5)

Finally, the expression is the same as means an equation, so we set the first expression equal to the second expression to make the following equation:
5(x - 6) = 4(x - 5)

Now, let's solve the equation for x. To do this, we type this equation into our search engine and we get:
x = 10