explain why there is no value of x for which the expressions x + 3 and x + 4
are equal?
My 7th grade son has this question on one of his worksheets and sadly I am
unable to help him.
Thanks so much in advance for your help
------------------------------
If there were such a value for x, then you could
subtract x from both sides like this:
x + 3 = x + 4
-x -x
-------------------
0 + 3 = 0 + 4
3 = 4
That is, if there were such a value for x then
3 would have to equal to 4. But 3 does not equal
4, so therefore assuming there was such a value
for x is wrong. Therefore there can be no such
value for x.
Edwin