Why is that 4x-3x equals x?

Answer 1

7

Answer 2

Step #1:

Place 4 of anything in your hand, or in your pocket, or in an envelope, or in

a pile on the ground in front of you. Feel them or look at them several times.

Count them. Make certain that there are exactly 4 of them, no more and no

fewer.

Step #2:

From the place where there are 4 of them, remove exactly 3 of them. Place the 3

of them that you have removed, off to the side, on a table, on a chair, in a bag,

or on the floor, well-away from the place where there were 4 of them. Make sure

that the 3 removed cannot be mixed or confused with the place where the 4 were.

Step #3:

Now carefully count the number of items in the place where the 4 were located.

It will be discovered that the number of items there now is no longer 4, but is

some different number. If you have completed each step carefully and in order,

you will find that there is now 1 single item.

These findings can be summarized in a brief, universally-applicable statement:

(Four of anything) minus (three of the same thing) leaves (one of them) .

This law applies in all situations, no matter what the item is. It holds equally true

whether the item is stones, gold doubloons, mens' shirts, wrist-watches, oysters,

hats, earthworms, pencils, pickup trucks, walnuts, steak knives, computers, shoes,

yellow legal pads, or ... in the case presently under discussion ... 'X's .