Easy One

[evenkeel3x]

Hello, I've come across an equation like this:
80x=96x

I've probably learned this in the very very distant past, but somehow can't manage to solve for x in this equation. I feel so dumb because I know this is so simple, but please help?

 

[pitoten]

Get everything on one side...for example, subtract 96x from both sides. Now factor the x out of the terms on the left side. You should get

[some number - some other number]*x = 0

The term inside the brackets is nonzero. Now, what do you have to mulitply a nonzero number by to get zero?

 

[evenkeel3x]

that gives me
-16x=0

it seems that if I divide 0 by -16, that'll just give me x=0, and that's not correct, is it?

 

[BigGlenntheHeavy]

$\displaystyle 96x \ = \ 80x, \ 96x-80x \ = \ 0, \ 16x \ = \ 0, \ x \ = \ 0/16, \ x \ = \ 0$

$\displaystyle Check: \ 96(0) \ = \ 80(0), \ 0 \ = \ 0$

 

[evenkeel3x]

okay, thanks, I guess i did something wrong to get to this point, because a zero dosen't really help, but thank you anyways. =]

 

[BigGlenntheHeavy]

$\displaystyle evenkeel3x, \ here \ on \ Earth \ 0/x \ = \ 0, \ providing \ x \ \ne \ 0.$

$\displaystyle If \ you \ have \ \frac{0}{0}, \ take \ it \ up \ with \ daon.$

$\displaystyle I \ edited \ the \ above, \ thanks \ Subhotosh \ Khan \ for \ catching \ that.$

 

[Deleted member 4993]

$\displaystyle If \ \ x\ne 0 ,\ \ then$

$\displaystyle \frac{0}{x} = 0$

and

$\displaystyle \frac{x}{0} \ \ = \ \ undefined$