Question

what is the first step in solving for x in the equation 5.6 (x + 1.42) = 7.8
A. multiply both sides by 5.6
B. divide both sides by 5.6
C. only the left - hand side was divided by 5.6
D. subtract 1.42 from both side

Answer 1

To solve the equation \( 5.6 (x + 1.42) = 7.8 \), the first step would be to isolate the term with \( x \) by first dealing with the coefficient \( 5.6 \).

The best choice here is to divide both sides by \( 5.6 \) to eliminate the coefficient from the left-hand side. This leads to:

\[
x + 1.42 = \frac{7.8}{5.6}
\]

So, the correct answer is:

**B. divide both sides by 5.6**.