document.write( "Question 579261: Please help me solve this equation -6e-4e=-20 . \n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #371058 by KMST(5328) $\"\"$ $\"About$

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This is a very creative problem. Usually when they want you to find a mystery number, they call the mystery number x. They could really use any symbol, but e is very unusual.
\n" ); document.write( "I like to think of minus signs as belonging to the number that follows them.
\n" ); document.write( "(If I do not see a number, it is an invisible number 1).
\n" ); document.write( "So what I see is:
\n" ); document.write( " $\"%28-6%29%2Ae%2B%28-4%29%2Ae=-20\"$
\n" ); document.write( "Applying the distributive property (it make look backwards to you but equal signs are two way streets):
\n" ); document.write( " $\"%28-6%29%2Ae%2B%28-4%29%2Ae=%28%28-6%29%2B%28-4%29%29%2Ae\"$
\n" ); document.write( "That is what I see. What I write is:
\n" ); document.write( " $\"-6e-4e=-20\"$ --> $\"%28-6-4%29e=-20\"$
\n" ); document.write( "Then I add those two negative numbers. I know that $\"%28-6%29%2B%28-4%29=%28-10%29\"$
\n" ); document.write( "So, the next transformed equation I write is:
\n" ); document.write( " $\"-10e=-20\"$
\n" ); document.write( "and that's when I realize that e=2, but I humor the teacher by writing next
\n" ); document.write( " $\"%28-10e%29%2F%28-10%29=%28-20%29%2F%28-10%29\"$ --> $\"highlight%28e=2%29\"$
\n" ); document.write( "to show that dividing both sides of the equal sign by (-10) I get an equivalent equation, and that (-20) divided by (-10) is 2, just as 20 divided by 10 is 2. \n" ); document.write( "

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