Question

Examine the equation.

–3x + 18 = 7x

What could you do to isolate the variable term to one side of the equation?

Add 3x to both sides.
Subtract 3x from both sides.
Add 18 to both sides.
Subtract 18 from both sides.

Answer 1

To isolate the variable term (the \(7x\) term) on one side of the equation –3x + 18 = 7x, you should move the \(3x\) term to the right side of the equation.

The correct action to do this is:

**Add 3x to both sides.**

Doing this, the equation becomes:

\[
18 = 7x + 3x
\]

or

\[
18 = 10x
\]

This effectively isolates all variable terms on one side of the equation.