Jonathan bought a new computer for $1,716, using the electronics store's finance plan. He will pay $143 a month for 12 months. Which equation can Jonathan use to find out how much money he still owes after each month of the plan?

I would say the best way to answer this problem is to use the method KFC. I know it sounds dumb, but my math teacher gave it to me and taught us well.

KFC stands for Know, Find, and Create.

We know that the computer costs $1,716.
He will pay $143 a month for 12 months.

Now, we need to find out what equation can demonstrate how much money he still owes after each month of the plan.

I believe that you can best represent this equation with $143(12 months) = $1,716. Now, you need to figure out how much money he owes after each month of the plan. 

y = the money he still owes
x = the number of months (from x = 0 to x = 12)
y = 1,716 - 112x