Equations Variable on Both Sides

Expressions are made up of terms.

Terms are variables, constants, or variables with coefficients. Terms are separated with plus(+) or minus(-) symbols.

Variable:Letter of symbol

Coefficients: in front of variable

Constant: a number by itself

An equation is when two expressions are equal.

5x+1 is an expression

3x+5 is an expression

The image shows that the two expressions are equal.

5x+1=3x+5 is an equation.

Our goal is to get one variable (letter or symbol) on one side and one constant (lonely number) on the other side.

Variable(x) = constant(number)

First we remove the variables from one side, but we must do this to both sides to keep the equation balanced.

When we subtract 3x,

the left side has 2x left and

the right side has no x.

Now x is only on one side.

Next we need to get the constants on one side.