Asked by D4VD

Generating a Plan to Solve an Equation
Consider this equation:

–2x – 4 + 5x = 8

Generate a plan to solve for the variable. Describe the steps that will be used.

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
Plan to solve –2x – 4 + 5x = 8:

1. Combine like terms on each side.
- On the left, combine the x-terms: –2x + 5x = 3x. This simplifies the equation to 3x – 4 = 8.

2. Use inverse operations to isolate the x-term.
- Eliminate the constant on the left by adding 4 to both sides: 3x – 4 + 4 = 8 + 4 → 3x = 12.

3. Solve for x by undoing the coefficient.
- Divide both sides by 3: x = 12 / 3 → x = 4.

4. Check the solution.
- Substitute x = 4 back into the original equation: –2(4) – 4 + 5(4) = –8 – 4 + 20 = 8. Since both sides match, x = 4 is correct.

That sequence—simplify, isolate, solve, and check—is a reliable plan for linear equations.