Let's break this up: let x = the number "when I triple my number" is the same as 3x "and add five" is the same as +5 We combine it to get 3x+5 "I get twenty-six" =26 combine to get 3x+5=26 Now we just solve: subtract 5 from both sides to get 3x=21 divide by 3 to get x=7