Question

A is 5 ranks ahead of b in a class of 46 students. if b's rank is twelth from the last,what is a's rank from the start

Answer 1

Okay so if we put this into an equation it'd be:

A+5=B 

Now, we know that B is 12th from last in a class of 46 students so we could say that 

46-12=B
34=B

Now we know that B is 34th from the beginning so, we put that into the original equation and solve for A:

A+5=B
A+5=34
A=34-5
A=29

A is 29th from the start!

Answer 2

A is 17th from the last. So, 46-17=29. A is 30th from the start.