Question

Using the Property of Equality, what first step would you take to rearrange the formula y = mx + b using x as the quantity of interest?

subtract b from both sides of the equation
divide both sides by m
divide both sides by y
subtract mx from both sides

Answer 1

To rearrange the formula \( y = mx + b \) to isolate \( x \), the first step would be to subtract \( b \) from both sides of the equation. This gives you:

\[
y - b = mx
\]

This step allows you to isolate the term containing \( x \) on one side of the equation. The correct answer is:

**subtract b from both sides of the equation**.