Solving One-Step Equations                    Page 4 of 5

Equations with Multiplication 

Multiplication and division are inverses, you can use one to undo the other.  If the equation involves multiplication, you will need to use division to get the variable by itself.

​Let's say you have to solve the equation below:

​Step 1: Use the inverse operation to get the variable by itself
​To undo multiplying by 3, we need to divide both sides by 3.

​Step 2: Check your answer
Plug 4 in for x in the original equation.  3(4) = 12, this means 4 is the correct answer.

Equations with Division

To undo division, we need to use multiplication.  Next, let's take a look at a one-step equation with division involved:

Step 1: Use the inverse operation to get the variable by itself
​​To undo dividing by 2, we need to multiply by 2.

Step 2: Check your answer
​Take your answer and plug it in for x in the original equation.  Does 10 divided by 2 equal 5?  Yes.  This means our answer is correct.

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