Question

Combine like terms. Then, solve for x.
8x + 3 – 3x = 18
[?]x + 3 = 18 (8x + 3x goes in the [?])
x = [?]

Answer 1

To combine like terms in the equation \(8x + 3 - 3x = 18\), we first group the \(x\) terms together:

\[
8x - 3x + 3 = 18
\]

This simplifies to:

\[
(8 - 3)x + 3 = 18
\]

Calculating \(8 - 3\) gives us \(5\), so we rewrite the equation as:

\[
5x + 3 = 18
\]

Now we can solve for \(x\). First, we isolate \(5x\) by subtracting \(3\) from both sides:

\[
5x = 18 - 3
\]

This further simplifies to:

\[
5x = 15
\]

Now, divide both sides by \(5\):

\[
x = \frac{15}{5}
\]

This simplifies to:

\[
x = 3
\]

So, the final answers are:

1. \([?] = 5\)
2. \(x = 3\)

In summary:

\[
5x + 3 = 18 \quad \text{and} \quad x = 3
\]