How do you solve #(-5x + 4) - 5 = -4(x - 7)#?

1 Answer
Nov 26, 2015

Previous solutions but in a bit more detail

Explanation:

The brackets on the left only group numbers. The brackets on the right are part of multiplication.

#color(blue)(Step1)#
Ungroup the left and multiply out the right

#-5x+4-5 = -4x+7#
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#color(blue)(Step2)#
Add #color(brown)(5x)# to both sides

#color(brown)(5x) -5x +4-5=-4xcolor(brown)(+5x)-7#

#0+4-5=x-7#
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#color(blue)(Step3)#
Add #color(brown)(7)# to both sides

#4-5color(brown)(+7)=x-7color(brown)(+7)#
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#color(blue)(Step4)#
Finish off the arithmetic

#6=x#
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#color(blue)(Step5)#
Write in the equation in the standard way

#x=6