How do you solve #2x+18+4x=-2x+10#?

1 Answer
Mar 26, 2017

Add like terms, invert terms by switching their signs, add like terms again, and isolate for #x#. As a result, you get #x=-1#.

Explanation:

Ultimately, we are to isolate #x#, in order to determine its value.

First off, what we have to do is to add like terms, making the equation easier to work with.

#2x+18+4x=-2x+10#

#18+6x=-2x+10#

That's as far as we can go. However, we can bring some terms to the other side of the equal sign. So let's do that in such a way where all like terms are on one side of the equal sign. When doing this, you must invert the value: negatives become positive and vice versa.

#6x+2x=-18+10#

Now, we can add like terms once more.

#8x=-8#

Finally, we can isolate #x#. To do this, we divide #8x# by #8#, in order to "cancel" the coefficient.

#(8x)/8=-8/8#

#x=-1#

As a result, we get #x=-1#. We can double check our work by subbing in #x=-1# in the original equation.

#2x+18+4x=-2x+10#

#2(-1)+18+4(-1)=-2(-1)+10#

#-2+18-4=2+10#

#12=12#

As you can see, both sides of the equal sign are equal to each other. Therefore, we can conclude that #x=-1#.

Hope this helps :)