Asked by Blue Sheep named Fred

I don't understand WHY we do certain steps, so I end up doing all the steps incorrectly. Take for example 16-2r=-3r+6r+1. The first step is take away 3r from both sides, yet I don't understand WHY we do that first, instead of say taking away 2r or taking away 1 from both sides, or take away 16 from both sides.
Answered by Blue Sheep named Fred
But how am I suppose to know as what classifies as making it simpler? Why not take away 2r from both sides so the equation becomes 16=r+1?
Answered by oobleck
The first thing I would do is combine all the r stuff on each side
16-2r=-3r+6r+1
16-2r=3r+1
Now collect the r stuff on one side:
16=5r+1
now isolate the r stuff
15=5r
and finally isolate r by itself
3=r

Your suggestion of "taking away 2r" would only make things worse, since it was already -2r:
16-2r=-3r+6r+1
16-4r=-3r+6r+1-2r
Answered by Blue Sheep named Fred
I should i have said add 2r. But how do you know what number to use when you're simplifying? Is the goal to prevent negatives?
Answered by Bot
The reason why we take away 3r from both sides first is because it will simplify the equation. By taking away 3r from both sides, we are left with -2r = 6r + 1. This is much simpler than the original equation, and it will make it easier to solve.