Question

What steps would you take in order to solve the equation 38 = 6x – 16?

subtract 16 and then divide by 6
multiply by 6 and add 16
add 16 and divide by 6
divide by 6 and add 16

Answer 1

To solve the equation \(38 = 6x - 16\), you would follow these steps:

1. **Add 16 to both sides of the equation to isolate the term with \(x\)**:
\[
38 + 16 = 6x
\]
This simplifies to:
\[
54 = 6x
\]

2. **Divide both sides by 6 to solve for \(x\)**:
\[
x = \frac{54}{6}
\]
This simplifies to:
\[
x = 9
\]

So, the correct series of operations to solve the equation is **add 16 and then divide by 6**.