document.write( "Question 8359: Please help me solve this equation: m + 18 = -9 \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #4620 by AnlytcPhil(1806) $\"\"$ $\"About$
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>>Please help me solve this equation: m + 18 = -9<< 
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document.write( "                             m + 18 = -9
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document.write( "An equation is like a balance scale.  If you perform a mathematical operation
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document.write( "to one side of the equation, then you must perform the same mathematical
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document.write( "operation to the other side. The left side is
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document.write( "                             m + 18
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document.write( "We wish there were only the letter
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document.write( "                             m
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document.write( "on the left side and nothing else.  We wish the
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document.write( "                               + 18
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document.write( "weren't there.  So we need to get rid of the\r
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document.write( "                               + 18.
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document.write( "The only thing that we can use to get rid of the 
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document.write( "                               + 18
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document.write( "is
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document.write( "                                    - 18\r
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document.write( "so we insert\r
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document.write( "                                    - 18
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document.write( "after the                      + 18
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document.write( "and that makes the left side become
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document.write( "                             m + 18 - 18
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document.write( "However since we put - 18 at the end of the left side, we have no choice but to
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document.write( "also put 
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document.write( "                                        - 18\r
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document.write( " at the end of the right side too!  That will make the right side
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document.write( "becoms
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document.write( "                                     -9 - 18
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document.write( "So here are the steps so far:
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document.write( "                            m + 18 = -9
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document.write( "                       m + 18 - 18 = -9 - 18
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document.write( "Now the + 18 - 18 on the left is just 0, so we can just erase
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document.write( "the + 18 - 18 on the left and get
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document.write( "                                 m = -9 - 18
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document.write( "Now the right side is -9 - 18 and that is -27, so the last step is
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document.write( "                                 m = -27
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document.write( "So altogether here are the steps as you should show them on your paper:
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document.write( "                            m + 18 = -9
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document.write( "                       m + 18 - 18 = -9 - 18
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document.write( "                                 m = -27     
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document.write( "That is the solution.  Now we check it:
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document.write( "                            m + 18 = -9
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document.write( "Replace m by -27
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document.write( "                          -27 + 18 = -9
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document.write( "                                -9 = -9
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document.write( "Since both sides of the equation are the same we know the answer is
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document.write( "correct.
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document.write( "Edwin\r
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