Question

Mikayla and Jesse both solved the equation x−15=12−8
, using substitution. Mikayla says the answer is x=19
, and Jesse says the answer is x=27
. Which student is correct, and how do you know? Show your work and explain your thinking. (2 points)

Answer 1

To determine which student is correct, we need to solve the equation step by step:

The equation given is:

\[ x - 15 = 12 - 8 \]

First, let's simplify the right side of the equation:

\[ 12 - 8 = 4 \]

So now, the equation is:

\[ x - 15 = 4 \]

Next, we want to isolate \( x \) on one side of the equation. We can do this by adding 15 to both sides:

\[
x - 15 + 15 = 4 + 15
\]

This simplifies to:

\[
x = 19
\]

Now we have found the solution to the equation, which is \( x = 19 \).

Comparing this result with the answers given by Mikayla and Jesse:
- Mikayla says the answer is \( x = 19 \) (which is correct).
- Jesse says the answer is \( x = 27 \) (which is incorrect).

Therefore, the correct student is Mikayla, as she correctly solved the equation and found the value of \( x \).