1. **State the problem:** The problem says "The difference of a number and 14 is equal to 48." We need to write an equation using $x$ to represent this and then solve for $x$. 2. **Write the equation:** "The difference of a number and 14" means $x - 14$. This is equal to 48, so the equation is: $$x - 14 = 48$$ 3. **Solve the equation:** To find $x$, add 14 to both sides: $$x - 14 + 14 = 48 + 14$$ $$x = 62$$ 4. **Interpretation:** The number is 62. **Final answer:** $x = 62$