Solving Equations with Variables on Both Sides Page 3 of 4
Example 3Let's look at one more example with variables on both sides of the equals sign, this time we'll look at an equation that's a little harder.
There's more than one way to solve this equation. I think the easiest way is to simplify each side of the equals sign first. The right side has parentheses so we need to distribute the 8 first and then combine like terms (How do you combine like terms?). After you do that, it will look more like the two examples above. |
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Now that the right side is simplified, our next step is to get all the variables on both sides. You can either choose to cancel the -2x or the 3x. Since we like to avoid negatives, we'll cancel the -2x by adding 2x to both sides. This leaves us with a simpler equation that we can solve.
All that's left now is to check your answer. Plug in -3 for x in the original equation and make sure both sides come out to the same number.
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