Beginning Algebra With Applications, Chapter 2, 2.3, Section 2.3, Problem 74

Translate the phrase "sixteen multiplied by one-fourth of a number" into a variable expression. Then simplify the expression.

$\begin{equation} \begin{aligned} & \text{The unknown number: } n && \text{Assign a variable to one of the number quantities}\\ \\ & \text{One-fourth the number: } \frac{1}{4}n && \text{Use the assigned variable to write an expression for any other unknown quantity.}\\ \\ &= 16 \left( \frac{1}{4}n \right) && \text{Use the assigned variable to write the variable expression.}\\ \\ &= \left( 16 \cdot \frac{1}{4} \right)n && \text{Use the Associative Property of Multiplication to rearrange factors}\\ \\ &= 4n \end{aligned} \end{equation}$