<p>x+y/2 is the average of x + y. So x and y have be equally far apart from the average. x is 4 units away, so y has to be too. Therefore the answer is E.</p>
<p>Here, I am just taking the average of x and (x+y)/2 to get y, because y is midway between these two points.</p>
<p>Then I would solve for y in terms of x:</p>
<p>2x+x+y=2y
3x+y=2y
2y=3x
y=3/2x</p>
<p>To make our calculation as painless as possible, choose a value that you can easier work with 3/2. Pick 2. If x is 2, then y is 3. Looking back at the number line, x is 2, then 3 more tick marks is the letter C.</p>
<p>@ miaomiao4: You can, but it would not be the fastest way to get the answer.</p>
<p>Solving that equation would give us:</p>
<p>x + y = (x + ((x + y)/2))/2</p>
<p>2x + 2y = x + ((x + y)/2)
x + 2y = (x + y)/2
2x +4y = x + y
x + 3y = 0
x = -3y</p>
<p>It would be faster to use this equation:</p>
<p>x + 2 = x + y
y = 2</p>
<p>We would then need to figure out what 0 is, either way. This can be found by realizing that (x + y)/2 is halfway between x + y and 0. This puts 0 at point D and Y at point E.</p>