To represent the relationship "a number decreased by 7 is the same as 48," we can use a variable to represent the unknown number. Let's use \( x \) for that number.
The equation can be written as:
\[ x - 7 = 48 \]
Now, we will solve for \( x \):
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Add 7 to both sides of the equation: \[ x - 7 + 7 = 48 + 7 \]
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Simplifying both sides gives us: \[ x = 55 \]
So, the number is \( 55 \).
Verification: If we decrease 55 by 7, we have: \[ 55 - 7 = 48 \] This confirms that our solution is correct. The number is indeed \( 55 \).