Question

Alegbra Help Anyone? D':
-4(x + 1) - 3 = -3(x - 4)

Answer 1

Hi again :)

Step 1: Distribute the -4 into the parenthesis...and do the same with that -3

Answer 2

i dont understand distributing

Answer 3

you have to multiply -4 to x and also to 1

Answer 4

Distributing...you take that -4...and you multiply it by every term inside the parenthesis...

-4(x + 1)

would become

(-4 * x) + (-4 * 1)

simplifying a bit more.

-4x - 4

make sense?

Answer 5

yeah i think, sorry im like really really bad at math /.\

Answer 6

do i do it to the -3(x-4) too?

Answer 7

No one is bad at math...you may have just never learned it in a good way...just like that last problem I helped you on....your teachers didnt explain it in a way you understood :)

Answer 8

and yes...do it to that as well

Answer 9

then what about the other -3?

Answer 10

That'll come later...okay so what do you get when you distribute that -3(x - 4) ?

Answer 11

-12x?

Answer 12

Not quite...remember you cannot combine a number with a variable to another number.

-3(x - 4)

(-3 * x) - (-3 * 4)

-3x + 12

right?

Answer 13

mkay (: now what /.\

Answer 14

Now it's easy...

From everything we did...we have left...

-4x - 4 - 3 = -3x + 12
^
theres that -3

Okay...now it is just combining everything...but like I said...we can only combine numbers with an 'x'...with another number with an 'x'

-4x and -3x can be combined..

every other term is just a number....which can all be combined with each other...

So simplify that whole equation..what do you get?

Answer 15

so i take -4x and add it too -3x? then add everything else?

Answer 16

Yeah you can do that

Answer 17

-7 + 5 ?

Answer 18

Not exactly...so it simplifies like this

-4x - 4 - 3 = -3x + 12

you want to bring all the 'x' to 1 side...and all the other numbers to the other side

So lets add 3x to both sides of this equation...

-4x - 4 - 3 = -3x + 12
+3x +3x
------------------------
-x - 4 - 3 = 12

Make sense? we an only have 1 x ...

Now..we want to isolate that 'x'....lets move ALL the other numbers to the other side of the eqaution...

-x - 4 - 3 = 12

Well lets add 4 and add 3 to both sides...

-x - 4 - 3 = 12 + 4 + 3
+4 + 3
-----------------------

-x = 19

Right? now the ultimate goal is to solve for 'x' what does 'x' equal...notice it is 'x' not '-x' so we have 1 more step...and that is to switch the signs of the 2 terms we have

-x = 19

will become

x = -19

See how x became positive and 19 became negative...

so our final answer here...will be x = -19

Answer 19

thank you.!