How would you express "nine less than the total of a number and two" mathematically?

To express "nine less than the total of a number and two" mathematically, you first need to identify the components of the phrase. The "total of a number and two" can be written as the sum of the variable ( y ) and ( 2), which is ( y + 2 ).

The phrase "nine less than" indicates that you are subtracting ( 9) from whatever total is indicated. Therefore, you would subtract ( 9) from the expression ( y + 2). This results in the expression ((y + 2) - 9).

The correct formulation captures both the addition of the number and ( 2) as well as the subtraction of ( 9) to represent the entire statement accurately. This reasoning confirms why ((y + 2) - 9) is the mathematically correct representation of the phrase you are trying to express.