![\"\"](\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\")
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Given:
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "5x + 41 = -4
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "The problem asks you to solve for x.
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "The first basic rule is whatever you do to one side of this equation (add, subtract,
\n" ); document.write( "multiply, divide, square, square root ... and so on), you must also do to the other side
\n" ); document.write( "or else you \"upset\" the balance of the equation.
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "The process of solving equations like this one involves four steps ...
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "(1) get the term or terms containing the unknown alone on one side of the equal sign.
\n" ); document.write( "(2) get all the number terms on the other side of the equal sign
\n" ); document.write( "(3) combine the like terms on their sides
\n" ); document.write( "(4) divide by the multiplier of x
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "Let's apply the process one step at a time:
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "First we need to get all the terms containing \"x\" on one side. Hmmm. There is only one
\n" ); document.write( "term containing \"x\" and it's on the left side. So we're OK there.
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "Next we need to get rid of the +41 on the left side so the \"x\" term is left by itself on
\n" ); document.write( "the left side. Do that by subtracting 41 from the left side. But when you do that, don't
\n" ); document.write( "forget the rule. If you subtract 41 from the left side, you must also subtract 41 from
\n" ); document.write( "the right side. This subtraction is:
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "5x + 41 - 41 = -4 - 41
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "On the left side the +41 and the -41 cancel each other. As a result, the equation becomes:
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "5x = -4 - 41
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "On the right side the -4 and the -41 are like terms that combine to give -45. So the equation
\n" ); document.write( "is now reduced to:
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "5x = -45
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "Now you do the last step. You see that 5 times the unknown equals - 45. To find 1 times the
\n" ); document.write( "unknown (1x or just x) you divide both sides by the multiplier of x which is 5. Dividing
\n" ); document.write( "both sides by 5 (remember the rule ... divide one side by 5 and you must also divide the
\n" ); document.write( "other side by 5) and you get:
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "5x/5 = -45/5
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "and this simplifies to just:
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "x = -9
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "You can check this answer by going back to the original given equation and substituting
\n" ); document.write( "-9 for x to see if the equation balances. The original equation was:
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "5x + 41 = -4
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "Substitute -9 for x and you get:
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "5*(-9) + 41 = - 4
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "Do the multiplication 5*(-45) and the equation becomes:
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "-45 + 41 = -4
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "The terms on the left side (-45 and + 41) combine to give you -4 and this makes the equation:
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "-4 = -4
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "And since both sides are equal, the equation balances and the answer of x = -9 is correct.
\n" ); document.write( ".
\n" ); document.write( "Hope this helps you with your understanding of how to do equations of this sort.
\n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "