Solving Equations

An equation is a mathematical statement that asserts the equality of two expressions, typically containing one or more variables.

To solve an equation means to find the value(s) of the variable(s) that make the equation true.

A variable is a symbol, often a letter, that represents an unknown value in an equation or expression.

The balance method involves performing the same operation on both sides of the equation to maintain equality while isolating the variable.

The first step is to subtract 3 from both sides of the equation to isolate the term with the variable.

You can check your solution by substituting the value back into the original equation to see if both sides are equal.

A linear equation is an equation of the first degree, meaning it has no exponents greater than one and graphs as a straight line.

To isolate a variable means to manipulate the equation so that the variable is on one side and all other terms are on the opposite side.

The solution is x = 15.

The distributive property states that a(b + c) = ab + ac, allowing you to multiply a single term by two or more terms inside parentheses.