Identify the equation that is solved correctly given the following written directions: subtract 5 from both sides of the equation. Then, multiply both sides of the equation by negative 2. The final answer is x = 8.

A. x/-2 - 5 = 1
B. x/2 + 5 = 1
C. x/-2 + 5 = 1
D. x/2 - 5 = 1

1 answer

Let's analyze the directions and find which equation leads to the final solution \( x = 8 \).

  1. Start with the equation \( x = ? \) (we'll derive it from each option).
  2. First, subtract 5 from both sides.
  3. Then, multiply both sides by -2.

After these operations, we want to reach \( x = 8 \).

Let's go through each option:

Option A: \( \frac{x}{-2} - 5 = 1 \)

  1. Subtract 5 from both sides: \[ \frac{x}{-2} = 1 + 5 = 6 \]
  2. Multiply both sides by -2: \[ x = 6 \times -2 = -12 \]

Option B: \( \frac{x}{2} + 5 = 1 \)

  1. Subtract 5 from both sides: \[ \frac{x}{2} = 1 - 5 = -4 \]
  2. Multiply both sides by -2: \[ x = -4 \times -2 = 8 \]

Option C: \( \frac{x}{-2} + 5 = 1 \)

  1. Subtract 5 from both sides: \[ \frac{x}{-2} = 1 - 5 = -4 \]
  2. Multiply both sides by -2: \[ x = -4 \times -2 = 8 \]

Option D: \( \frac{x}{2} - 5 = 1 \)

  1. Subtract 5 from both sides: \[ \frac{x}{2} = 1 + 5 = 6 \]
  2. Multiply both sides by -2: \[ x = 6 \times -2 = -12 \]

After going through all options, we see that both Option B and Option C yield \( x = 8 \) after performing the operations. However, only one of these conforms to the original equation formats given:

  1. Option B results in \( x = 8 \).
  2. Option C also results in \( x = 8 \).

Since more than one option leads to the final result, you may consider both acceptable, but if only one needs to be identified in the context of a straightforward solution:

The correct identification of the option that directly leads to \( x = 8 \) after correctly following the operations specified is: B. \( \frac{x}{2} + 5 = 1 \) is the simplest one to follow and likely the intended solution if a single answer is needed.