Question

Explain the steps you would take to solve the equation x + 10 = 3
Put in words what you would do

Answer 1

To solve the equation \( x + 10 = 3 \), I would follow these steps:

1. **Identify the Objective**: My goal is to isolate the variable \( x \) on one side of the equation.

2. **Subtract 10 from Both Sides**: To eliminate the \( +10 \) from the left side, I would subtract 10 from both sides of the equation. This helps to maintain the equality. Mathematically, it looks like this:
\[
x + 10 - 10 = 3 - 10
\]

3. **Simplify the Equation**: After performing the subtraction, I would simplify both sides. On the left side, \( +10 \) and \( -10 \) cancel each other out, leaving \( x \). On the right side, I would calculate \( 3 - 10 \), which gives me \(-7\). So, the equation now reads:
\[
x = -7
\]

4. **Conclusion**: I have now isolated \( x \) and determined that the solution to the equation is \( x = -7 \).

5. **Check the Solution**: To ensure the solution is correct, I could substitute \(-7\) back into the original equation to verify:
\[
-7 + 10 = 3
\]
Since this statement is true, I can confidently say that \( x = -7 \) is indeed the correct solution.

These steps clearly outline how to solve the equation systematically.