combining like terms
- Thread starter fc1123
- Start date
In your case, a like term is either a number multiplied x, or a number without a variable.
So:
to begin, subtract 17 from 3 on the left to get the following:
-14 = 8 + x - 3
Then, combine the like terms on the right, add together the 8 and the negative 3 to get:
-14 = 5 + x
Now, you have to get all of the like terms to one side, so in this case, that would mean subtracting 5 from both sides, so that x is isolated on one side, and the regular numbers are on the other:
-19 = x
so, now you have your answer, -19
Hope I was able to help!
So:
to begin, subtract 17 from 3 on the left to get the following:
-14 = 8 + x - 3
Then, combine the like terms on the right, add together the 8 and the negative 3 to get:
-14 = 5 + x
Now, you have to get all of the like terms to one side, so in this case, that would mean subtracting 5 from both sides, so that x is isolated on one side, and the regular numbers are on the other:
-19 = x
so, now you have your answer, -19
Hope I was able to help!