Question

Solve: -1/2 x + 3 = −x + 7

Answer 1

?

Answer 2

?

Answer 3

Something Wrong?

Answer 4

what does -1/2 mean?

Answer 5

I don't know if there using -1/2 as a fraction or division I think fraction but my schools stupid so I drew how they put it.

Answer 6

You never know with my school

Answer 7

Is the problem
\[ - \frac{1}{2} x +3 = -x+7\]

Answer 8

Yes! Lol sorry i'm not good at math at all....

Answer 9

As a first step, I would add +x to both sides like this
\[x - \frac{1}{2} x +3 = x -x+7\]
and simplify it

Answer 10

Okay? Still a little confused sorry.

Answer 11

can you simplify the right side: x-x+7

Answer 12

Umm no

Answer 13

x-x +7 means you start with 1 x, you take away 1 x , and add 7
what do you get?

Answer 14

8x? or does it stay 7?

Answer 15

think of x a "real thing"
you have x's and you have numbers.

x -x is 0 (x take away one x is 0)
0+7 is 7

so now you have
\[ x - \frac{1}{2} x +3 = 7\]


on the left you have 1 x and take way 1/2 of an x. How much of x do you now have?

Answer 16

1/2?

Answer 17

1/2 x (don't forget the x)

the equation is now ,after we replace x - 1/2 x with 1/2 x
\[ \frac{1}{2}x +3 = 7\]
I would now add -3 to both sides. write -3 on both sides. can yo do that?

Answer 18

Sorry my computer froze

Answer 19

I would now add -3 to both sides. write -3 on both sides. can yo do that?

Answer 20

Sorry my computer keeps messing up -3 + 1/2x +3 = 7 + 3-

Answer 21

ok, except people generally don't write -3 as 3-

-3 + 1/2x +3 = 7 + -3

on the left side we have 3 "terms" we can re-order them (Example: 1+2+3 is the same as 2+3 + 1)

1/2 x + 3 + -3 = 7 + -3

what is 3 take away 3? what is 7 take away 3 ?
can you re-write the equation after simplifying?

Answer 22

0 and 4

Answer 23

yes, Can you write down what the equation looks like?

Answer 24

1/2x + 4

Answer 25

try again. equations have = signs in them

Answer 26

1/2 x + 3 + -3 = 7 + -3
simplifies to
1/2 x = 4

Answer 27

1/2x =4

Answer 28

last step, multiply both sides by 2

(if we double both sides, the equation is still true)

2* 1/2 * x = 4*2 (* means multiply here)

now simplify

Answer 29

I got 8 for 4*2 but how do I multiply the fraction? Yeah I know I should know how to do it...

Answer 30

when you have time look at
http://www.khanacademy.org/math/arithmetic/fractions
and look for multiplying (or anything else you need to brush up on.)

to multiply fractions you multiply top times top and bottom times bottom
if you have a whole number, you assume its bottom is 1
so 2*1/2 is
\[ \frac{2}{1} \cdot \frac{1}{2} \]
can you finish?

Answer 31

2/2

Answer 32

yes, and 2 divided by 2 is ?

Answer 33

1

Answer 34

that means we simplify
2* 1/2 * x = 4*2
to
1 x =8

or (because you don't bother writing 1 in front of the x)

x= 8

the answer.

Answer 35

Thank you

Answer 36

Here are videos on how to solve equations.
http://www.khanacademy.org/math/algebra/solving-linear-equations-and-inequalities

Answer 37

Okay Thank you for helping me. I'll look at the site.