Question

which expression represents 12 less than the product of 3 and a number n? 3(n - 12) 12n - 3 3n - 12 12 - 3n

Explanation:

Step1: Analyze the problem

We need to find the expression for "12 less than the product of 3 and a number \( n \)". First, the product of 3 and \( n \) is \( 3\times n = 3n \). Then, "12 less than" this product means we subtract 12 from \( 3n \), so the expression is \( 3n - 12 \).

Step2: Evaluate each option

• Option 1: \( 3(n - 12) = 3n - 36 \) (using distributive property), which is not equal to \( 3n - 12 \).
• Option 2: \( 12n - 3 \) represents "3 less than the product of 12 and \( n \)", not what we need.
• Option 3: \( 3n - 12 \) matches our derived expression.
• Option 4: \( 12 - 3n \) represents "12 minus the product of 3 and \( n \)", which is the opposite of what we need.

Answer:

The correct expression is \( 3n - 12 \) (the orange - colored option with the expression \( 3n - 12 \)).