Select the equation needed to solve the following word problem:

While driving from his house to the beach, Cameron passed a sign that read "Beach: 21 Miles." If the distance from Cameron's house to the beach is 46 miles, how many miles had Cameron already traveled?

A. [tex]21 + x = 46[/tex]
B. [tex]x - 46 = 21[/tex]
C. [tex]x - 21 = 46[/tex]
D. [tex]46 + x = 21[/tex]



Answer :

To solve the word problem, we need to determine how many miles Cameron has already traveled from his house to the point where he saw the sign indicating that the beach is 21 miles away. Given that the total distance from Cameron's house to the beach is 46 miles, we need to find the distance Cameron has traveled so far.

Let's denote the distance Cameron has already traveled as \( x \).

The information given can be used to set up an equation:
1. Cameron has traveled \( x \) miles.
2. The distance remaining to the beach is 21 miles.
3. The total distance from his house to the beach is 46 miles.

Since the sum of the distance traveled (\( x \)) and the distance left (21 miles) equals the total distance (46 miles), we can express this in an equation form:

[tex]\[ x + 21 = 46 \][/tex]

Simplifying, we get:

[tex]\[ x + 21 = 46 \][/tex]

Rewriting it in a standard variable notation, we get:

[tex]\[ 21 + x = 46 \][/tex]

Hence, the correct equation that matches the problem is:
[tex]\[ 21 + x = 46 \][/tex]

Therefore, the correct answer is:
A. [tex]\( 21 + x = 46 \)[/tex]