Question

-3x - 2 < 5

Answer 1

how do i do this?

Answer 2

-3x-2<5

Just solve for x. So to get x alone, first we need to get rid of the -2 by adding 2 to both sides. This will cancel the -2 on the left side, giving you:

-3x<7

Do you know what to do now? :o)

Answer 3

@Butterfly16 not exactly >.< i don't understand these much

Answer 4

there are infinite values of x for which the above equation is true. The equation will be true for 1 to infinity

Answer 5

Okay, well you're trying to solve for x. So, you're trying to get x alone on one side of the equation so that you can see it's value. Basically, you're going to undo what has been done to the equation and you're basically working backwards. To get x alone, you're going to do opposite operations and you're always going to take from the side which x is on, never the other side unless there's an x on both sides.

So, for this one, the opposite of -2 is +2, right? So you're going to add 2 and this will cancel the -2 on the other side. Think about it, what is -2+2? It's 0 right? So -3x+0 would be -3x, right? So that term will basically disappear. Now, whatever you do to one side, you MUST do to the other.

-3x - 2 < 5
+2 +2

See how I'm adding 2 to both sides of the equation? Think of the < sign as an equal sign.

This will give us:

-3x<7

Now, keep getting x alone. So, see how -3 is connecting to the x by multiplication? So, the opposite of multiplication is division. Therefore, if we divide -3x/-3 it will give us 1x, which is the same as just x.

-3x<7
/-3 /-3

x<2.3

Now, whenever you DIVIDE by a NEGATIVE in INEQUALITIES (not regular equations) across the < sign, it is ALWAYS going to flip the sign. So, our sign of < is going to flip to the sign of >.

Therefore, your answer should be:

x>2.3