Austin worked out the problem 5x -3 (x-2) =8 and got an answer of x=7



Lisa thinks he made a mistake and the answer should be x=1


Who is correct or are they both wrong? Why?

1 answer

Let's solve the equation \( 5x - 3(x - 2) = 8 \) step-by-step to determine whose solution is correct.

Starting with the given equation:

\[ 5x - 3(x - 2) = 8 \]

Now, distribute \(-3\) across \((x - 2)\):

\[ 5x - 3x + 6 = 8 \]

Combine like terms \(5x - 3x\):

\[ 2x + 6 = 8 \]

Next, isolate \(x\) by subtracting \(6\) from both sides:

\[ 2x = 8 - 6 \]

This simplifies to:

\[ 2x = 2 \]

Now, divide both sides by \(2\):

\[ x = 1 \]

So, the correct solution is \(x = 1\), which means Lisa is correct and Austin made a mistake in his calculations.