The Equals Sign

Hey equation, what's your sign?

There are many different English phrases for each of the arithmetic operators, and there are likewise many different English phrases that translate into the = sign. In fact, "likewise" is one word that roughly means = . Any English phrase that says two quantities are the same, or will be the same if you perform some operations first, translates into a mathematical equation using the = sign. For example, James Bond may tell you that the world = not enough.

Sample Problems

• "x plus 2 equals 10'' translates into symbols as x + 2 = 10.
   
• "Three x is twenty-four'' translates into symbols as 3x = 24.
   
• "One-half of y will be seven'' translates to .
   
• "If we divide y by four we get twelve'' translates to .
   
• "Multiplying z by two gives (or yields) eleven'' translates to z × 2 = 11.