document.write( "Question 1163805: Could someone show me how to solve the below equation step by step - I am doing something wrong and cannot get it to come out correctly where it the solution can verify:\r
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Algebra.Com's Answer #788018 by Edwin McCravy(20055)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
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document.write( "The others did not see your earliest post.  This is what you posted\r\n" );
document.write( "that you had done:\r\n" );
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\n" ); document.write( "18 - (x+3) - 2x = 4 + (x-5)
\n" ); document.write( "18 - x +3 - 2x = 4 + x-5 <---THIS STEP IS WRONG!!!!!)
\n" ); document.write( "-x - 2x +18 + 3 = 4 + x-5
\n" ); document.write( "-3x +21 = 4 + x-5
\n" ); document.write( "-3x - x + 21 - 21 = x - x + 4 -5 -21
\n" ); document.write( "4x = -22
\n" ); document.write( "x = -5.5
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Your error was in removing parentheses when there is a minus sign preceding\r\n" );
document.write( "the parentheses.\r\n" );
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document.write( "You changed  - (x+3) to -x+3 when you should have changed it to -x-3.\r\n" );
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document.write( "BOTH SIGNS are changed when removing the parentheses, not just the first\r\n" );
document.write( "one.\r\n" );
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document.write( "When an expression in parentheses is preceded by a minus or negative sign,\r\n" );
document.write( "it is the same as if you were distributing -1 into the parentheses.\r\n" );
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document.write( "So when you see -(x+3), consider it to be \r\n" );
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document.write( "                -1(x+3)\r\n" );
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document.write( "then distribute like this\r\n" );
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document.write( "               (-1)(x)+(-1)(3)\r\n" );
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document.write( "then\r\n" );
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document.write( "                -x + (-3)\r\n" );
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document.write( "and finally\r\n" );
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document.write( "                -x - 3\r\n" );
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document.write( "Now do the problem again, using -x - 3, not what you had.      \r\n" );
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document.write( "Edwin
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