document.write( "Question 1165294: The number of minutes in an hour is the same as a number times three, minus 3.\r
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Algebra.Com's Answer #789762 by Edwin McCravy(20056) $\"\"$ $\"About$

You can put this solution on YOUR website!

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document.write( "The other tutor above made a mistake, so her answer is wrong.  She may\r\n" );
document.write( "come back and correct it.  I will check back later to see if she corrects\r\n" );
document.write( "it.  If she does I'll erase this notice.  Anyway here's the correct way to\r\n" );
document.write( "approach the problem:\r\n" );
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document.write( "In place of \"The number of minutes in an hour\", write 60.\r\n" );
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document.write( "In place of \"is the same as\", write an equal sign, = .\r\n" );
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document.write( "In place of \"a number times 3, write 3x .\r\n" );
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document.write( "In place of \"minus\", write a minus sign, - .\r\n" );
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document.write( "So you should have this:\r\n" );
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document.write( "        60 = 3x - 3\r\n" );
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document.write( "We want to get all terms containing x on one side.  Since the only term\r\n" );
document.write( "containing x is 3x, we'll leave it on the right side.\r\n" );
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document.write( "We want to get rid of the -3, so we'll add its opposite, +3, to BOTH sides,\r\n" );
document.write( "like below, so that the +3 will cancel out with the -3. We add the 60 and\r\n" );
document.write( "the +3, we bring down the equal sign and the 3x. We leave it blank where\r\n" );
document.write( "the -3 and the +3 cancel out.\r\n" );
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document.write( "        60 = 3x - 3\r\n" );
document.write( "        +3       +3\r\n" );
document.write( "     ----------------\r\n" );
document.write( "        63 = 3x  \r\n" );
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document.write( "Now that we have only one x term on one side and only one term with no x on\r\n" );
document.write( "the other, we are ready to divide both sides by the coefficient of x.\r\n" );
document.write( "That's the number that is multiplied by the x, which is 3.  We draw a\r\n" );
document.write( "fraction bar under the terms on both sides like below, and put a 3 under\r\n" );
document.write( "both of them:\r\n" );
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document.write( "       \r\n" );
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document.write( "Now we divide 63 by 3 and get 21 on the left, and we cancel the 3's on the\r\n" );
document.write( "right.\r\n" );
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document.write( "       \r\n" );
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document.write( "And we just write:\r\n" );
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document.write( "       \r\n" );
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document.write( "Or if we prefer we can swap sides so that x comes first.\r\n" );
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document.write( "        \r\n" );
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document.write( "Edwin

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