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Shelly and Terrence completed [tex]$x$[/tex] tasks in a game. Terrence's total points were 20 less than Shelly's total. The expression below shows Terrence's total points in the game:

[tex]\[ 90x - 20 \][/tex]

What does the first term of the expression represent?

A. The total points Shelly earned
B. The number of tasks Terrence completed
C. The sum of Shelly's and Terrence's total points
D. The number of tasks Shelly completed



Answer :

GinnyAnswer
To solve this problem, let’s focus on interpreting the expression representing Terrence's total points, which is [tex]\( 90x - 20 \)[/tex].

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. Identify given expression:
- Terrence’s total points are given by [tex]\( 90x - 20 \)[/tex].

2. Understand the relationship between their points:
- It is stated that Terrence’s total points are 20 less than Shelly’s total points.
- Therefore, if Shelly's points are represented by some expression, adding 20 to Terrence's points should give us Shelly's points.

3. Set up the expression for Shelly’s points:
- Let [tex]\( S \)[/tex] denote Shelly's total points.
- We know: [tex]\( S = (90x - 20) + 20 \)[/tex].

4. Simplify the expression for Shelly’s points:
- [tex]\( S = 90x - 20 + 20 \)[/tex]
- [tex]\( S = 90x \)[/tex]

5. Interpret the term [tex]\( 90x \)[/tex]:
- From our derivation, [tex]\( 90x \)[/tex] represents the total points Shelly earned.

The correct answer is:
- The total points Shelly earned

Thus, the first term of the expression [tex]\( 90x - 20 \)[/tex], which is [tex]\( 90x \)[/tex], represents the total points Shelly earned.