SOLUTION: I am very confused as to what it means to add or subtract to both sides...

Question 18990: I am very confused as to what it means to add or subtract to both sides...
Answer by piglet162431(90) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
It's all about balancing.
Let say x+3=5 (obviously x=2)
to solve for x you need to ISOLATE x, which is making everything else ZERO.
So...
the INVERSE of positive 3 is NEGATIVE 3, now you say
x+3-3=5
x=5? Noo.... You have to balance, anything you do to oneside you have to do the other.
Remember we used -3 to make 3 the disappear? Now you have to bring the -3 to other side.
Now,
x=5-3
x=2
You see, there's different ways to see things, in math, too.
Let m the money she earned the second time. The first time she earn is 5. THe total is 26.
Well, you can say that 26-5=m
and 5+m=26
But if you "switch" the orders around, they will be the same thing!

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