1. The problem states that the variable $w$ represents the number 2. 2. This means wherever you see $w$ in an expression or equation, you substitute it with 2. 3. For example, if you have an expression like $3w + 5$, substituting $w=2$ gives: $$3 \times 2 + 5 = 6 + 5 = 11$$ 4. This substitution rule is fundamental in algebra to evaluate expressions or solve equations. 5. So, the key takeaway is: $w = 2$ means replace $w$ by 2 in any math expression or equation.