53 plus what equals 72?

This is how to calculate "53 plus what equals 72?" In other words, 53 plus a number equals 72. What is that number? We start by converting this word problem into an equation where "what" is what we want to solve:

53 + what = 72

To solve this equation, we first add -53 to each side of the equal sign like this:

53 - 53 + what = 72 - 53

Then, we do the calculation to get the answer to "53 plus what equals 72?" as follows:

What = 19

The answer to "53 plus what equals 72?" is 19. You know this answer is correct because 53 plus 19 equals 72.

Plus What Equals Calculator
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53 plus what equals 73?
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