|
Question 121847: I need help with solving this rational equation
8x-7=7
Answer by bucky(2189)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! Several rules for solving equations such as this are:
.
(1) Combine like terms on both sides
(2) Get the numbers on one side and the unknown variable terms on the other
(3) Combine terms again after they are collected on one side
(4) Divide by the multiplier of the unknown to solve
.
The problem you were given is to solve for x the equation:
.
8x - 7 = 7
.
Rule (1) cannot be applied to this equation because there are no terms that can be combined on
either side of this equation. So you can go to rule (2).
.
The number -7 on the left side needs to be moved to the other side of the equation sign
so that it is not on the same side of the equal sign as the term containing x. You can do
this by adding +7 to both sides to get:
.
8x - 7 + 7 = 7 + 7
.
Apply rule (3). On the left side the -7 and +7 cancel each other out. On the right side
the +7 and +7 combine to give 14. These two combinations reduce the equation to:
.
8x = 14
.
Apply rule (4). Divide both sides of this equation by the +8 that is the multiplier of
the x. This division leads to:
.
8x/8 = 14/8
.
On the left side the two 8's cancel and the equation then is:
.
x = 14/8
.
On the right side 2 is a common factor of both the numerator and denominator, so you can divide
both by 2 and the equation reduces to:
.
x = 7/4
.
And that is the answer you were to find.
|
|
|
| |
