2unique said:
I have another question. This may be redundant but here goes.
How would you work a problem like this? I have yet to come across a problem with 2 constants.
Do you work them separately ex: 5x+4 then 3x+20 then subtract the answers and that gives you x?
5x + 4 = 3x + 20
I am not sure I understand the question. Presuming that the question is how do you attack an equation of the form (5x + 4) = (3x + 20), then let's get Socratic again.
In the algebra that you are studying, x is just a number, right?
As a general principle (in math as well as life), it is usually a good idea to try to simplify a problem before trying to solve it.
Let's simplify the two terms containing x. Think of the equation as a balance. So, to keep things in balance, you need to take the same number of x (remember x is just a symbol for a number not yet known) off both sides of the balance. How do you do that to get a an equation with x on just one side of the equation? You already know how to do that, right?
OK Now you have a new equation with a term in the unknown on just one side of the equation but knowns on both sides. The knowns are still numbers though, right?
So now do the same trick of simplifying to get knowns on just one side of the equation, except you want to get the known amount on the other side of the equation from the unknown. You know how to do that, right?
OK Now you have an equation with an unknown on one side and a known on the other. You know how to solve that, right?
If this seems obscure, try it a step at a time, and let me see you answer for each step. OK?