To determine whether an equation like \(2x + 3 = 2x + 7\) has one solution, no solutions, or infinite solutions, you can follow these steps:
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Rearrange the equation: Start by simplifying both sides of the equation to see if you can isolate \(x\).
\[ 2x + 3 = 2x + 7 \]
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Subtract \(2x\) from both sides:
\[ 3 = 7 \]
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Analyze the result:
- If you end up with a true statement (like \(5 = 5\)), it means that the original equation is true for all values of \(x\), indicating infinite solutions.
- If you end up with a false statement (like \(3 = 7\)), it indicates that there are no solutions because no value of \(x\) can satisfy the equation.
- If you had been able to isolate \(x\) and found a specific value (like \(x = 2\)), then there would be one solution.
In the case of \(2x + 3 = 2x + 7\), since we found \(3 = 7\), which is false, we conclude that there are no solutions to this equation.