To solve the inequality, we first translate the statement into a mathematical expression. The product of 7 and a number x can be written as 7x. Adding 3 to this product gives us the expression:
7x + 3
According to the question, this expression is less than 26. Therefore, we can set up the inequality:
7x + 3 < 26
Next, we will isolate x by first subtracting 3 from both sides:
7x < 26 – 3
7x < 23
Now, we divide both sides by 7 to solve for x:
x < 23/7
Calculating the division gives:
x < 3.2857
Thus, the solution to the inequality is that x must be less than approximately 3.29.