SOLUTION: I am trying to help my ten year old son and am so lost. I am able to figure out for instance, n + 7 = 19. Then they rearranged the problem and asked him to solve 57

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Question 186141: I am trying to help my ten year old son and am so lost. I am able to figure out for instance, n + 7 = 19. Then they rearranged the problem and asked him to solve 57 - w = 20. Not a clue. Thanks for your help. This is a teacher handwritten worksheet, so I do not have an ISBN. I do know that his school system uses the Everyday Math series.
Found 2 solutions by edjones, feliz1965:
Answer by edjones(8007) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
57 - w = 20
-w=-37 Subtract 57 from each side of the equation.
w=37 multiply each side by -1.
.
Ed

Answer by feliz1965(151) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
We have the linear equation:
57 - w = 20
Subtract 57 from both sides of the linear equation.
Doing so, we get: -w = -57 + 20
Simplifying the right side, we get -37 and our linear equation now looks like this:
-w = -37
Divide both sides by the coefficient of w, which happens to be -1.
Yes, there is a -1 there. In math, we never write -1w or 1w (never place a number 1 or -1 in front of a variable). It is there invisibly. Is this clear?
Back to your question.
-w = -37
w = -37 divided by -1
w = 37
Is this clear?
Feliz

SOLUTION: I am trying to help my ten year old son and am so lost. I am able to figure out for instance, n + 7 = 19. Then they rearranged the problem and asked him to solve 57 - w = 20. No