How do you solve equations?

Question

parthkohli · Answer

You solve equations by isolating a variable aka making it the subject in the equation.

parthkohli · Answer

You must be able to get a form $variable = constant$ after you solve an equation.

anonymous · Answer

There are various methods to solve equations..
If you want to solve one equation, then take the variable on one side and constant terms on other side and solve..

If there are two equations carrying two variables, then
There are methods Like Elimination, Substitution And Simultaneous Solving by Cross Multiplication..

compassionate · Answer

A linear equation in one variable has a single unknown quantity called a variable represented by a letter. Eg: ‘x’, where ‘x’ is always to the power of 1. This means there is no ‘ x² ’ or ‘ x³ ’ in the equation.

The process of finding out the variable value that makes the equation true is called ‘solving’ the equation.

An equation is a statement that two quantities are equivalent.

For example, this linear equation:  x + 1 = 4 means that when we add 1 to the unknown value, ‘x’, the answer is equal to 4.

To solve linear equations, you add, subtract, multiply and divide both sides of the equation by numbers and variables, so that you end up with a single variable on one side and a single number on the other side.

 As long as you always do the same thing to BOTH sides of the equation, and do the operations in the correct order, you will get to the solution.

For this example, we only need to subtract 1 from both sides of the equation in order to isolate 'x' and solve the equation:

x + 1 - 1 = 4 - 1

Now simplifying both sides we have:

x + 0  = 3

So:

x  = 3

With some practice you will easily recognise what operations are required to solve an equation.

Here are possible ways of solving a variety of linear equation types.

Example 1, Solve for ‘x’ :

x + 1  =   -3

1. Subtract 1 from both sides:
x + 1 - 1 =   -3 - 1

2. Simplify both sides:
x   =   -4