Question

What number should be added to both sides of the equation x -7/8=-5 to find the value of x

Answer 1

To find the value of x, we can add the same number to both sides of the equation. Let's call this number "n".
x - 7/8 = -5

Add "n" to both sides of the equation:
(x - 7/8) + n = -5 + n

Now, we need to determine what number to add in order to eliminate the fraction (-7/8) on the left side. We can determine it by examining the denominator of the fraction, which is 8.

To eliminate the fraction, we want the denominator to become 8 as well. This means n needs to be 8.

Adding 8 to both sides of the equation:
(x - 7/8) + 8 = -5 + 8

Simplifying:
x - 7/8 + 8 = 3

Now we can simplify the left side of the equation:
x + (8 - 7/8) = 3
x + (64/8 - 7/8) = 3
x + (57/8) = 3

Subtracting (57/8) from both sides of the equation:
x = 3 - 57/8

To obtain a numerical value for x, we need to express 3 as a fraction with a denominator of 8:
x = 24/8 - 57/8

Simplifying:
x = (24 - 57)/8
x = -33/8

Therefore, the value of x is -33/8.