Question

jonah has 34 balloons.
he then buys some more.
he gives away 11 balloons to his friends.
now, he has 40 balloons.
how many balloons does jonah buy?
jonah’s balloons
34 ?
11 40
options: 17, 16, 5

Explanation:

Step1: Find total before giving away

Let $x$ = balloons bought. Total before giving: $34 + x$

Step2: Set up equation for final count

Final count = total before - given away: $34 + x - 11 = 40$

Step3: Simplify and solve for $x$

Simplify left side: $23 + x = 40$
Solve for $x$: $x = 40 - 23$
$x = 17$

Answer:

17