algrebra: stuck solving x + 8 - (x - 1) = 5(x + 2) for X

[brandy~lee]

I think this is the right place to post. I am an home school student and i have these books that i work through. there are 12 in Algrebra 1 and i am only in the second one now and i am alredy stuck. My directions are to: Solve for X in these equations. Problem is i dont understand how to do it. here is the problem i am stuck on:

x+8-(x-1)=5(x+2)

I have to find out what X is and i dont know how to do it.
I managed the first one somehow...

5(X+1)+6(X+2)=7(X+3)

x=1 in the above problem...i just started guessing numbers to see if any fit and 1 was my first guess and i got it right.LoL(laugh out Loud) :lol: any way...if anyone knows how to do this problem would you please show me step by step how to do it. I will be very gratful...

eddie...the answewr you gave me was wrong...sorry...but im still not understanding what i need to do...

 

[fasteddie65]

Re: Home school student stuck on algrebra x+8-(x-1)=5(x+2)

First of all, it's algebra, not algrebra.

Secondly, guess-and-check is not a good problem solving strategy in most cases.

You need to start with simple equations and work up to more advanced.

Simplify first:
x + 8 - (x - 1) = 5(x + 2)
x + 8 - x + 1 = 5(x + 2)

Combine like terms:
9 = 5(x + 2)

Use the Distributive Property to remove parentheses:
9 = 5x + 10

Subtract 10 from both sides:
9 - 10 = 5x + 10 - 10
-1 = 5x

Divide both sides by 5:
-1/5 = 5x/5

-1/5 = x

 

[stapel]

i dont understand how to do it.

To learn how to solve linear equations, try here.

eddie...the answewr you gave me was wrong...sorry...but im still not understanding what i need to do...

Please post replies as replies (new posts at the end of the thread), rather than "edits" of previous messages (which are almost-always overlooked). Thank you. :wink:

Meanwhile, on what basic have you determined that his solution and method were incorrect? You plugged the provided solution into the original equation, saw that both sides evaluated to "9", but... then what?

Please be complete. Thank you!