document.write( "Question 466577: Hello,
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\n" ); document.write( "P = a + b + c; for a
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Algebra.Com's Answer #319854 by Edwin McCravy(20055) $\"\"$ $\"About$

You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Solve P = a + b + c; for a
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document.write( "To solve for \"a\", we have to get rid of the \"+ b + c\" on the\r\n" );
document.write( "right side so as to leave just the a on the right side:\r\n" );
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document.write( "        P = a + b + c\r\n" );
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document.write( "To do that we add the opposite of + b and + c to both sides.  The\r\n" );
document.write( "opposites of + b is - b and the opposite of + c is - c, so we will add\r\n" );
document.write( "that to both sides.  To do that we have to skip some space between \r\n" );
document.write( "the \"P\" and the equal sign \"=\" like this:\r\n" );
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document.write( "        P         = a + b + c\r\n" );
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document.write( "so we'll have room to insert the \"- b - c\", since there are no b or\r\n" );
document.write( "c terms on the left to write those under.  So now we put - b - c\r\n" );
document.write( "undrneath both sides like this:\r\n" );
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document.write( "        P         = a + b + c\r\n" );
document.write( "          - b - c     - b - c  \r\n" );
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document.write( "Now we draw a line under that, like this:\r\n" );
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document.write( "        P         = a + b + c\r\n" );
document.write( "          - b - c     - b - c  \r\n" );
document.write( "       覧覧覧覧覧覧覧覧覧覧覧\r\n" );
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document.write( "Then below the line we add straight down in columns of\r\n" );
document.write( "like terms.  The + b and the - b cancel on t he right \r\n" );
document.write( "and so do the + c and the - c, so we don't write anything\r\n" );
document.write( "under them below the line on the right. You just bring\r\n" );
document.write( "down everything else:\r\n" );
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document.write( "        P         = a + b + c\r\n" );
document.write( "          - b - c     - b - c  \r\n" );
document.write( "       覧覧覧覧覧覧覧覧覧覧覧\r\n" );
document.write( "        P - b - c = a \r\n" );
document.write( "        \r\n" );
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document.write( "That's the answer.  However, you might want to write the\r\n" );
document.write( "right side on the left and the left side on the right so\r\n" );
document.write( "that what you were solving for, the \"a\", is on the left of\r\n" );
document.write( "the equal sign instead of the right:\r\n" );
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document.write( "        a = P - b - c\r\n" );
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document.write( "Edwin

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