GED Math Question of the Day

1. $2w + 4$ (correct answer)
2. $4w + 2$
3. $2(w + 4)$
4. $\dfrac{w}{2} + 4$

Explanation: When you encounter word problems that ask you to translate relationships into algebraic expressions, the key is to identify the operations and their order carefully. Break down the sentence piece by piece. The problem states "The length of a photograph is 4 inches more than twice its width." Let's translate this step by step. Since the width is $w$ inches, "twice its width" means $2w$. Then "4 inches more than twice its width" means you add 4 to that result: $2w + 4$. This confirms that A) $2w + 4$ is correct. Now let's see why the other options are wrong. B) $4w + 2$ reverses the coefficients—this would mean "2 more than four times the width," which isn't what the problem describes. C) $2(w + 4)$ represents "twice the quantity of width plus 4," or algebraically $2w + 8$. This changes the order of operations and gives a different result. D) $\frac{w}{2} + 4$ means "4 more than half the width," which completely misinterprets "twice" as division instead of multiplication. Study tip: When translating word problems into algebra, work from right to left in the sentence. Start with the base quantity (here, "width" = $w$), then apply operations in the order they're described ("twice" gives $2w$, then "4 more" gives $2w + 4$). Always double-check by substituting a simple number—if width were 3 inches, the length should be $2(3) + 4 = 10$ inches.