anyone good at algebra????

Question

When solving a linear equation in one variable, the objective is to isolate the variable on one side of the equation. What does that mean? Give an example.

Answer 1

when it says isolate the variable it means to get the variable on one side of the equation and what the variabe represents on the other.

For example

2x+6=9+3x
Add 6 to both sides so you would get
2x=15+3x
Then get the variable to one side so you get
5x=15
Now you need to get the value for one x not 5 so you divide it by 5 on both sides
x=3
To check if your answer is correct plug the value you got for x in and see if it fits.
Hope this helped!

Answer 2

If you have x +12 = 24, then isolating the variable (x) would mean subtracting it from the left hand side (Or adding a negative 12; same thing) and then adding that negative 12 to the right hand side. So you get x=12. The "isolating the variable" is necessary so you can determine what that variable equals. HTH!

Answer 3

This means get the variable on one side or the other of thew equation: Example:
2x + 3 = x +7

First step - get all the X's on the left & all the #s on the right
How? by subtracting x from both sides

This leaves:
2x(-x) +3 = x+7 (-x)
or
x+3=7

now subtract 3 from both sides

x+3 (-3) = 7(-3)
or

x=4 - plug it in the original equation to check it
2 (4) +3 = (4) =7
or 11=11 it checks

Answer 4

That means you have to take one variable (x, y, z, etcetera) and put it so that it equals the rest of the equation.

For example, if you had the equation y=2x+8, and you needed to put the 'x' variable on one side of the equation, you would need to turn the equation so that it reads x= [whatever].

Here's how to do it:
y=2x+8 <------start with the original equation
y-8=2x <------subtract 8 on both sides to move it to the 'y' side of the equation
(y-8)/2=x <----divide both sides by two to isolate x.

There you have it. If you need more help, look up linear equations online. :] Good luck!

Answer 5

It means to get the side with the variable (the letter) alone by itself. Ex: 3x+12=42
subtract 12 from both sides to isolate 3x
3x=30
divide by 3 on both sides
x=10
it's very simple. Just do the opposite operation of the one shown (addition-subtraction, multiplication-division)

Answer 6

Order of Operations… Remember “Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally.”
Please = Parentheses
Excuse = Exponents
My = Multiplication
Dear = Division
Aunt = Addition
Sally = Subtraction

Get like terms on each side of the equal sign; then, simplify and solve for x.
Example:
2x+7=5-5x (Add 5x to both sides; the 5x and the -5x cancel each other out on the right side)
2x+5x+7=5 (Subtract 7 from both sides; the 7 and -7 cancel out on the left side)
2x+5x=5-7 (Combine like terms)
(1/7)7x=-2(1/7) (Multiply both sides by the reciprical of the number next to the variable to solve for x)
x=-2/7
Then, check by substituting the value for x back into the original equation and see if one side equals the other. They should.

Answer 7

I described it this way to a teen I was helping:

Isolating the variable means the variable (x or whatever letter it is) wants to be all alone. It needs to be divorced from all the numbers present and live by itself.

Answer 8

The idea is to move one variable to one side of the equals sign, and everything else to the other side. You have to do the same maths to both sides of the equals sign.

eg. x-y+23=19,
plus y to both sides gives x+23=19+y,
minus 23 gives, x=y-4

X is on one side, all the other stuff is on the other, problem solved.

Answer 9

to solve for x, get it to one side, and leave it by its self.

example:

3x +5 = 20
-5
3x= 15
3x/3, 15/3
x= 5

Answer 10

3x +5 = 20
-5 -5
3x = 15
3x/3, 15/3
Answer: x= 5