Question

What's the first step in solving x/5 = 12/30? 12*x?

Answer 1

Original:
x/5 = 12/30

What you do to one side you have to do to the other, so:
\[Step-1: 5 * (x/5) = (12/30) * 5\]To get rid of the 5 on the one side you have to apply the calculations to both sides, hence the multiplication to both sides.

Answer 2

Wouldn't it be 12x=120?

Answer 3

For 12 * x = 120, you can do a similar step, where you apply the calculation to both sides.

\[Step-1: (12 * x)/12 =120/12\]This allows for you to solve for x.