How do you solve two-step equations?

1 Answer
Umer F.
Feb 26, 2018

Explanation below!

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Explanation:

It takes two steps to solve an equation that has more than one operation:

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  • Simplify using the inverse of addition or subtraction.

  • Simplify further by using the inverse of multiplication or division.

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Let's have an example equation.

#2x-12=5#

The first step is to add twelve to both sides, since addition is the inverse operation of subtraction, to remove negative twelve from left hand side.

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Why are we doing this?

Beacause we want to achieve #\ \ \ ##x=\text{some number}#, which is called the solution to an equation.

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#2x-12+12=5+12#

#2x=17#

Now since two is being multiplied with the variable #x#, we are going to apply the inverse operation of division to remove it.

#{2x}/2=17/2#

#x=17/2#

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We don't have to care about the right hand side, if it is a fraction or a decimal. All we care about is our variable, which must be isolated on the left hand side of the equation.

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That's it!

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