2007-09-21 04:19:45 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
16 + 4x = - 4
4x = - 4 - 16
4x = - 20
x = - 5
2007-09-21 08:10:19 · answer #1 · answered by Como 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You want to isolate the variable x.
16= -4x - 4
To isolate x, you would add 4 to both sides
16+4=-4x -4+4
20= -4x
Divide both sides by -4 gives you x.
20/-4 = -4x/-4
-5=x
2007-09-21 11:31:42 · answer #2 · answered by vidguru 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All you are trying to do is isolate the variable "x" by performing a number of operations on both sides of the equation.
16 = -4x - 4
==> add 4 to both sides
16 + 4 = -4x - 4 + 4
==> simplify (this cancels out constants on right side)
20 = -4x
==> divide both sides by negative four
20 / -4 = -4x / -4
==> simplify (this cancels out the coefficients on right)
-5 = x ... ANSWER
2007-09-21 11:24:53 · answer #3 · answered by C-Wryte 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
16=-4x-4
add 4 to both sides
16+4 = -4x-4+4
20=-4x
divide by -4 both sides
-5=x
or x=-5
2007-09-21 11:48:44 · answer #4 · answered by cidyah 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
16= -4x -4
16 + 4 = -4x
20= -4x
x = -20/4
= -5
2007-09-21 11:30:17 · answer #5 · answered by newtonian 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
steps:
16 = -4X -4 (step one, add 4 to both sides)
20 = -4X (step two, divide by -4)
-5 = x
2007-09-21 11:27:35 · answer #6 · answered by Matthew L 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
16 = -4x -4
16 +4 = -4x
20 = -4x
20/4 = -x
5= -x
-5 = x
2007-09-21 12:02:29 · answer #7 · answered by Kid 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
16 = -4x -4
+4 +4
---------------
20/-4 = -4x/-4
-5 = x
2007-09-21 11:28:23 · answer #8 · answered by Traceur 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A negative multiplied by a negative equals a positive.
2007-09-21 11:27:31 · answer #9 · answered by Will 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋