Question

Can someone help? I thought I solved it correct and got X=-6. The problem is:
solve. 0.04(4x-6)=0.16(x+7)-1.36 The answer was supposed to be "all real numbers". How?

Answer 1

All values for x will work in your equation.
Did you distribute the 0.04 to get
0.16x - 0.24
and distribute the 0.16 to get
0.16x+1.12-1.36
so your equation is
0.16x - 0.24 = 0.16x+1.12-1.36
or
0.16x - 0.24 = 0.16x-0.24

which is always true, for any value of x

Answer 2

I assumed that you would change the decimals to whole numbers... does it work that way too?

Answer 3

I think I was trying to solve for x some how...

Answer 4

You could multiply both sides by 100 to get
16x-24= 16x-24

If you continue to simplify, by subtracting 16x from both sides
and add 24 to both sides
0=0
when you get an equation like this, it means the original will always be true, for all values of x

Answer 5

I think I was trying to solve for x and that is how I got -6.... I put all the x's to one side..

Answer 6

Thanks for clarifying! :) much appreciated!

Answer 7

I think I was trying to solve for x and that is how I got -6.... I put all the x's to one side..

If you did this you should see the x cancel. So you must have made a mistake.

You should be able to get to
0.16x - 0.24 = 0.16x-0.24

now if you move the x from the right side by add -0.16x to both sides:

0.16x - 0.24 -0.16x= 0.16x-0.24 -0.16x
all the x's disappear
-0.24= -0.24

Answer 8

I don't know who I did that, funny.... but I do understand what your saying. Thanks for the help. :)