document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=1143022>Question 1143022</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Please someone throughly explain this question and solve it step by step so that I can understand, thank you and god bless you. :D\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "The terms 4x + 36, 2x + 15, and 3x - 30 are consecutive terms in an arithmetic sequence. The value of x is </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #763771 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Theo><B>Theo(13342)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Theo><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/cgi-bin/show-face.mpl?user=Theo><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=763771\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> you have an arithmetic sequence.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "the formula for an arithmetic sequence is An = A1 + (n-1) * d<BR>\n" );
document.write( "An is the nth term.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "A1 is the first term.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "n is the term number<BR>\n" );
document.write( "d is the common difference between each term in the sequence.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "the key here is that the difference between each term in the sequence has to be the same.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "therefore, the difference between the second term and the first term has to be the same as the difference between the third term and the second term.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "what this tells you is that (2x + 15) - (4x + 36) = (3x - 30) - (2x + 15).\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "simplify to get:\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "2x + 15 - 4x - 36 = 3x - 30 - 2x - 15\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "combiine like terms to get:\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "-2x - 21 = x - 45\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "subtract x from both sides of the equation and add 45 to both sides of the equation to get:\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "-3x + 24 = 0\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "add 3x to both sides of the equation and solve for x to get x = 24 / 3 = 8.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "if done correctly, the value of x has to be equal to 8.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "using 8 as the value of x, you get:\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "4x + 36 = 68<BR>\n" );
document.write( "2x + 15 = 31<BR>\n" );
document.write( "3x - 30 = -6\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "31 - 68 = -37<BR>\n" );
document.write( "-6 - 31 = -37\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "the common difference is -37.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "the value of 8 for x gives you an arithmetic sequence where the common difference is -37.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "x = 8 is your solution.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( " </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</TD></TR></TABLE>\n" );