The expression \(8 - x\) represents a situation where you start with a total of 8 and then subtract some quantity \(x\) from it. Here are the situations that correctly represent \(8 - x\):
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Gabrielle decreased her eight-minute commute to school by some number of minutes. (This situation indicates reducing the original time of 8 minutes by \(x\) minutes.)
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Naomi had eight pencils and gave some away to her classmates. (This situation indicates starting with 8 pencils and giving away \(x\) pencils, resulting in \(8 - x\) pencils.)
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Jones County has eight fewer elective courses than Smith County. (This indicates that if Smith County has \(x\) elective courses, Jones County has \(8 - x\) courses.)
The other situations do not correctly correspond to the expression \(8 - x\):
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Sydney increased her collection of stamps by eight. (This describes an addition, not a subtraction.)
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Benjamin lost eight of his socks. (This indicates losing a fixed amount, not a variable amount subtracted from 8.)
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Eight servings of lunch decreased by some number. (This phrasing is vague, but it would imply that the servings started at 8 and decreased, which could potentially match \(8 - x\), but it's less direct than the others listed above.)
Thus, the three that apply are:
- Gabrielle decreased her eight-minute commute to school by some number of minutes.
- Naomi had eight pencils and gave some away to her classmates.
- Jones County has eight fewer elective courses than Smith County.
1 answer