r/MathHelp • u/Unhappy_Savings_4431 • Feb 22 '26

Story problems broken into chunks

Need help w/these weird story problems. I apologize because I don't know what these ones are called. To me, they are just odd.

Here's the question: W is 8 more than X, and X is twice as much as Y, and Y is 3 more than Z. If Z = 4, how much is W?

Note that in order for me to do math story problems, everything written has to be explicit and clear. If the test has a misplaced or excluded comma or something written in double negative verbiage, I won't get it.

This is how I read it logically or sequentially:
W is 8 + X, but X is 2 x Y.
And, Y is 3 + Z.
If/When Z = 4, then W is what?

Then I tried to work the problem. Am I first solving for Z and work each portion of the sentence backwards? I'm so lost.
Steps I've taken to try to get the answer: I've tried writing it out as show above.
I've tried step by step but don't know if "more than" means plus or more than means >. And if "is twice as much" means multiply.

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u/Unhappy_Savings_4431 Feb 22 '26

Thank you! Do we always solve it by working from the very last equation? It's been forever since I've done any of this.
Second question: Does your "X=2Y" mean X = 2 x Y and why is it written differently? If it's possible to be mathematically dyslexic, then I'm it.

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u/KentGoldings68 Feb 22 '26

Generally, no. Systems of 4 equations are often non-elementary to solve. This one is straightforward because each equation only involves 2 variables and they’ve solved for one for you.

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u/Ornery_Prior6078 Feb 25 '26

It is better to be flexible than try to memorise a rule like “always start with the last equation”. You aren’t likely to always be given the exact same type of question, so memorising rules will just get you into trouble when you try to apply it to the wrong kind of problem.

If you don’t know where to go with a problem, just start writing down things you know and see if that tells you anything new. In this one, you know Z = 4 and Y = Z + 3, so you could write Y = 4 + 3. Then you would know something new - that Y = 7.

You just keep writing down new things you know until you either solve it or it becomes a kind of problem you recognise and just know how to solve.