Question

I keep getting 8.2 for my answer, but the book says 5. Could someone explain where I'm going wrong?

1/4 (x+3) - 2/3 (x-1) = -2

Solve for x.

Answer 1

Some easier to read formatting:
\[\frac{ 1 }{ 4 }(x+3) - \frac{ 2 }{ 3 } (x-1) = -2\]

Answer 2

what do u have some far when u distribute ?

Answer 3

Well, I started out by multiplying everything by 12 to get rid of the fractions:
\[3(x+3)-8(x-1)=-24\]

Answer 4

Then distributing:
\[3x+9-8x+8=-24\]

Combining stuff:
\[-5x+17=-24\]

\[-5x=-41\]
=8.2

Answer 5

can see what u did wrong!!! looks right to me maybe wrong answer in back of book happened to me before

Answer 6

so lets try plugging it into the equation and see if we get the right answer

Answer 7

8.2 is correct if put into the original equation

Answer 8

That's what I'm figuring. It's for a friend, she came to me for help and I couldn't give her the same answer as her book had!

Plugging it back in gets me -2

Answer 9

thats what i love about math can always check your answer back into the equation!!

Answer 10

\[\frac{ 1 }{ 4 }x+\frac{ 3 }{ 4 }-\frac{ 2 }{ 3 }x+\frac{ 2 }{ 3 }=-2\]
\[12(\frac{ 1x }{ 4 })+12(\frac{ 3 }{ 4 })-12(\frac{ 2x }{ 3 })+12(\frac{ 2 }{ 3 })=12(-2)\]
\[3x+9-8x+8=-24\]
\[-5x+17=-24\]
\[-5x=-41\]
\[x=\frac{-41}{-5}\]
\[x=8.2\]
So in short, you are definitely doing it right. Maybe you've somehow written down the problem wrong and that's why the answers don't match??

Answer 11

Book was incorrect.