Tutor profile: Jessica B.

Solve the following equation: y + 3 = 9

To solve equations, you must isolate the variable (or get the variable by itself). To isolate the variable, you need to do the opposite operation of anything on the same side of the equals sign. Notice the operation on the left side of the equal sign (y + 3). The opposite of adding is subtracting. By subtracting 3, the variable y is now alone or isolated. When working with equations, whatever you do on one side of the equals sign you must also do on the other side. 9-3=6. Now we are left with the answer of y=6.

Julie has 12 erasers that she wants to share equally between herself and 3 friends. How many erasers would each person get?

First, you must identify what the question is asking. We need to figure out how many erasers each person would get if they are shared equally. Next, you need to decide which mathematical operation involves "sharing equally", which is division. In order to solve the question, you must take the total (12) and divide it by the number of people (4) to get an answer of 3 erasers per person.

Evaluate the following: 30-12÷3x2

In order to evaluate the question, you must first understand the order of operations. Without this previous knowledge, you would assume to work from left to right. However, the order of operations states to work on division and multiplication from left to right before the subtraction. First, solve 12÷3=4. Then, replace the answer back into the expression. 30-4x2. Next, solve 4x2=8. Then, replace the answer back into the expression. 30-8. Last, solve 30-8=22.