Answer:
-2
Step-by-step explanation:
Let Oliver's number be x.
He multiplies it by 5:
x * 5 = 5x
He then subtracts 26:
5x - 26
Then, he divides by 6:
[tex]\frac{5x - 26}{6}[/tex]
He then multiplies his original number by 3, and gets the same answer.
This implies that:
[tex]\frac{5x - 26}{6} = 3x[/tex]
Let us simplify this:
[tex]\frac{5x - 26}{6} = 3x\\\\5x - 26 = 3x * 6\\\\5x - 26 = 18x[/tex]
Collecting like terms:
[tex]5x - 18x = 26\\\\-13x = 26\\\\=> x = \frac{26}{-13}\\\\x = -2[/tex]
Oliver's number is -2.
