Question

Solve for x.
minus, 3, left parenthesis, 4, x, minus, 2, right parenthesis, plus, 5, x, plus, 4, equals, minus, 18
−3(4x−2)+5x+4=
−18

Answer 1

To solve the equation

\[
-3(4x - 2) + 5x + 4 = -18,
\]

we first distribute the \(-3\) across the terms in the parentheses:

\[
-3 \cdot 4x + -3 \cdot (-2) = -12x + 6.
\]

Now substitute this back into the equation:

\[
-12x + 6 + 5x + 4 = -18.
\]

Next, combine like terms. The \(5x\) and \(-12x\) combine as follows:

\[
-12x + 5x = -7x.
\]

And the constants \(6\) and \(4\) combine to give:

\[
6 + 4 = 10.
\]

Putting it all together, we have:

\[
-7x + 10 = -18.
\]

Now, isolate \(x\) by first subtracting \(10\) from both sides:

\[
-7x + 10 - 10 = -18 - 10,
\]

which simplifies to:

\[
-7x = -28.
\]

Next, divide both sides by \(-7\):

\[
x = \frac{-28}{-7} = 4.
\]

Thus, the solution is:

\[
\boxed{4}.
\]