How do I solve for x on both sides of the equation, i.e. 72x+48=42x-12? Is there a standard way of figuring this out?

Answer 1

72x+48=42x-12

First, subtract 42x from both sides.

72x - 42x + 48 = 42x - 42x - 12
30x + 48 = -12

Then subtract 48 from both sides.

30x = -48 + (-12)
30x = -60
x = -60/30
x = -2