Question

Solve -3x + 1 > 4 and describe the graph of the solution.

x < -1; Open circle on -1, shading to the left

x < -1; Open circle on -1, shading to the right

x > -1; Open circle on -1, shading to the left

x > -1; Open circle on -1, shading to the right

Answer 1

-3x + 1 > 4 solve for x which means that we want x to be by itself. For example we don't want that +1 on the left hand side so what we need to do is subtract both sides by 1

-3x + 1 > 4
-3x + 1 -1 > 4 -1
-3x > 3

What do you think is the next step?

Answer 2

divide by -3 & you get x > -1

Answer 3

Great you do have to divide and since we divided by a negative that means that we have to flip the sign.

The answer is x < -1

not x > -1

Got it?

Answer 4

Yeah, do you shade to the left or right?

Answer 5

So x < -1

means that we want values lower than -1....some examples are -2, -3 and -10


In a number line are those numbers in the left or right of -1?