June was thinking of a number. June divides by 3, then adds 6 to get an answer of 5. What was the original number?

To find the original number, you'll have to work backwards from your final number, 5.

1) June's last step was adding 6 to a number to get 5. To find that number, undo the addition by subtracting 6 from 5:

5 - 6 = - 1

2) Her first step was dividing some number by 3 to get - 1 (the number from our last step). Undo that division by multiplying 3 by - 1:

3 x - 1 = - 3

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The original number was - 3.