In this question, we're trying to make a equation for the given information in the question.
We know that Tamara bought 31 total cases of tiles
We also know that she used 17 of those cases in the upstairs bathroom, while using the rest in the downstairs bathroom.
Since we know she started with a total of 31, our equation would equal to 31
We could represent the downstairs bathroom as "x"
Right now, our equation looks like this:
31 = x
However, since she used 17 of those tiles already, we would need to add 17 to our equation
31 = x + 17
The reason why we add 17 is because when we solve for the equation, we're going to have to subtract 17 from 31, and that would represent the amount of tiles she has left.
If you solve the equation
31 = x + 17
14 = x
She would have 14 tile cases left for the downstairs bathroom
Answer:
31 = x + 17
