Question

June was thinking of a number. June divides by 3, then adds 6 to get an answer of 5. What was the original number?

Answer 1

To find the original number, you'll have to work backwards from your final number, 5.

1) June's last step was adding 6 to a number to get 5. To find that number, undo the addition by subtracting 6 from 5:
5 - 6 = -1

2) Her first step was dividing some number by 3 to get -1 (the number from our last step). Undo that division by multiplying 3 by -1:
3 x -1 = -3
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The original number was -3.